With less than three weeks to go before Election Day, the race for New York City mayor is heating up — and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo is making up ground.
A new Quinnipiac University poll shows Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani holding a 13-point lead over Cuomo, 46% to 33%, with Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa trailing at 15%. The survey, conducted Oct. 3–7, is the first since Mayor Eric Adams dropped out of the race.
Cuomo, who resigned as governor in 2021 amid scandal, is running as an independent. The former governor has drawn support from disillusioned Democrats and voters uneasy about Mamdani’s progressive platform.
“The numbers changed, but the contours of the race haven’t,” said Quinnipiac pollster Mary Snow. “Cuomo picked up the bulk of Adams’ supporters, but Mamdani’s lead remains intact.”
Still, Cuomo’s campaign insists the tide is turning. “This race is shifting decisively,” said spokesman Rich Azzopardi. “Mamdani remains stagnant.”
The poll also shows enthusiasm strongly favoring Mamdani, with 90% of his supporters saying they’re energized to vote, compared to 69% for Cuomo and 85% for Sliwa.
A separate Fox News poll found Mamdani leading Cuomo 48%-32% among likely voters when Adams is excluded from the field.
Mamdani, 33, a state lawmaker from Queens, rose to prominence as a democratic socialist with a bold platform focused on affordability. His proposals include free bus rides, tuition-free CUNY, rent freezes, and government-run grocery stores.
If elected, the Ugandan-born Mamdani would make history as New York City’s first Muslim and first millennial mayor — a fact that’s energized young and progressive voters but stirred controversy among critics who have slammed his views on policing and Israel.