New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani continues to hold a strong lead against his Republican and independent counterparts, with a new poll released Tuesday showing him garnering support equivalent to his three strongest opponents combined.
Why It Matters
The 33-year-old New York state assemblyman and self-described democratic socialist continues on his political trajectory after defeating former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in the June 24 Democratic primary. Results finalized by the New York City Board of Elections showed Mamdani easily clearing the 50 percent threshold, resulting in both Cuomo and New York City Mayor Eric Adams running as independents in opposition of his candidacy.
All three have gone after one another while 71-year-old conservative activist and talk show host Curtis Sliwa aims for a major upset for Republicans. Former federal prosecutor Jim Walden is also vying for a long-shot victory as an independent.
What To Know
Siena University’s newest poll of New York state registered voters released Tuesday shows Mamdani still holding a strong lead, garnering 44 percent of surveyed voters, tying the combined totals for Cuomo (25 percent), Sliwa (12 percent) and Adams (7 percent).
The poll surveyed 813 registered voters from August 4 to August 7.
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Newsweek reached out to the candidates’ campaigns via email for comment.
Siena pollster Steven Greenberg told Newsweek on Tuesday that 39 percent of New York statewide voters reside in New York City, and this poll was a subset of those registered voters and not in theory likely voters.
City voters under 35 are overwhelmingly supporting Mamdani, Greenberg said, as are a plurality of voters age 35 to 54. Voters age 55 and older back Cuomo over Mamdani, 38 percent to 32 percent.
Results of this new Siena poll mirror a survey of 1,453 New York City residents conducted by Zenith Research and Public Progress Solutions from July 16 to July 24, which found Mamdani with a commanding lead in the current field of five—winning 50 percent of support while the combined level of support for the four other candidates and undecided likely voters totaled 49 percent.
What People Are Saying
Mamdani on X, formerly Twitter, on reports that Cuomo and President Donald Trump recently discussed the mayoral race: “We need a mayor who will fight for every single New Yorker every single day—not conspire with a demagogue in Washington who attacks our rights and steals from the working class to enrich his billionaire friends.”
Cuomo, in a statement on August 12: “New York City is in a housing crisis and we need more than slogans to solve it. We must build more housing quickly, but we also need to ensure that our rent stabilized apartments are going to the New Yorkers who need them the most.
“They are supposed to be for hard working men and women, but far too many rich people are taking advantage. We must stop the Zohran Mamdanis of the world from gaming the system and boxing out lower income New Yorkers who are barely scraping by and Zohran’s law will do that.”
Sliwa posted to X on Tuesday: “I’ve been in the streets for decades, and when I’m mayor we’ll put more cops where they’re needed to protect New Yorkers, not the hypocrite politicians like Mamdani who trash the police but hide behind them.”
What Happens Next
The New York City mayoral general election is set for November 4. Adams, who previously won by running as a Democrat, is competing for his second term.