Mamdani leads NYC mayoral race as Cuomo narrows gap in latest new poll

With less than four weeks until Election Day, Zohran Mamdani maintains a double-digit lead in New York’s mayoral race, but former Gov. Andrew Cuomo is narrowing the gap, according to a new poll.

Mamdani, the 33-year-old democratic socialist lawmaker from Queens who shocked the political world in June with his convincing victory over Cuomo and nine other candidates to win the Democratic Party nomination for mayor, has 46 percent support among likely voters in a Quinnipiac University poll.

Cuomo, who resigned as governor in 2021 amid multiple scandals and is running as an independent candidate in the general election after losing the primary, had 33% support in the survey.

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Zohran Mamdani, Democratic candidate for mayor of New York, speaks to volunteers at a poll launch in Brooklyn, September 28, 2025. A new poll indicates he holds a double-digit lead in the race, but his margin over former Governor Andrew Cuomo is narrowing. (Michael Nigro/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Co-founder of the Guardian Angels Curtis Slawawho, for a second consecutive election, is the Republican candidate for mayor of the city dominated by Democrats, received 15% of the vote in the poll.

The survey in the nation’s most populous city was conducted Oct. 3-7, entirely after embattled Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat who was running for re-election as an independent, withdrew from the race.

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In the previous Quinnipiac University poll, taken in early September, Mamdani held a 22-point lead of 45 to 23 percent over Cuomo, with Sliwa at 15 percent and Adams at 12 percent.

“The numbers have changed, but the contours of the race have not. Andrew Cuomo has gathered the bulk of Adams’ supporters, narrowing Zohran Mamdani’s lead, but Mamdani’s double-digit front-runner status remains intact.” Quinnipiac University Survey said Assistant Principal Mary Snow.

Andrew Cuomo, New York mayoral candidate and former governor of New York, speaks during a press conference on August 4, 2025 in New York. (ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)

But Cuomo campaign spokesman Rich Azzopardi said in a statement that the investigation confirmed that “this race is moving decisively” and that “Mamdani remains stagnant.”

Mamdani’s strongest support is among Democrats (60%), Asian American voters (67%), voters ages 18 to 34 (62%), and voters ages 35 to 49 (60%), according to the poll.

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The survey indicates that the strongest support for Cuomo is among Jewish voters (60%), and the strongest support for Sliwa is among Republicans (54%).

Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa is interviewed by Fox News Digital, in New York, August 18, 2025. (Paul Steinhauser-Fox News)

Mamdani was winning the battle of enthusiasm since 90% of his supporters said they were very or somewhat enthusiastic. Enthusiasm levels fell to 85% among Sliwa supporters and 69% among those supporting Cuomo.

Mamdani, of Ugandan origin, if elected, will become the first Muslim and millennial mayor of the country’s most populous city.

Mamdani cruised to victory in the Democratic primary with an energetic campaign that focused on affordability and New York’s high cost of living. It was fueled by an army of grassroots supporters and the support of the nation’s greatest progressive champions, including Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont.

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Mamdani made smart use of social media platforms, notably TikTok, in engaging low-propensity voters. He proposed eliminating fares for riding New York City’s vast bus system, making CUNY (City University of New York) “tuition-free,” freezing city housing rents, providing free child care for children up to age 5, and creating government-run grocery stores.

Mamdani has been heavily criticized by his rivals not only for his far-left proposals, but also for his criticism of Israel, his past negative comments regarding the New York City Police Department (NYPD), and his proposal to shift some responsibilities from the NYPD and focus on social services and community programs.