Mamdani Surges, Cuomo Stagnant in NYC Mayoral Race
New polling suggests Cuomo and Mamdani are virtually tied on the final ballot
New polling from Data for Progress finds Zohran Mamdani has caught up to Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic mayoral race in New York City.
While Mamdani still trails by two points on the final ballot, that’s a significant improvement compared to Data for Progress’ last poll in March.
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Mamdani now holds the highest favorable rating among all Democratic mayoral candidates, with 58% viewing him favorably and just 15% unfavorably.
The next closest candidates are Brad Lander and Adrienne Adams, both with a 53% favorable rating among NYC Democrats. However, 37% of respondents remain unsure about them, compared to just 27% who are unsure about Mamdani.
The two most disliked candidates in the race are Andrew Cuomo and Eric Adams.
Cuomo has a 48% favorable rating but is underwater with 49% viewing him unfavorably, a stark contrast to Mamdani as the race enters its final stretch ahead of the primary later this month.
The only candidate more unpopular among NYC Democrats is Eric Adams, who has launched an independent campaign for mayor following a series of corruption scandals. His unfavorable rating stands at 83%, with just 15% still viewing him favorably.
On the ballot, Cuomo leads the first round with 40% of the vote. Mamdani has made substantial gains, now polling at 33% in the first round, followed by Lander (8%), Adams (6%), and Stringer (6%).
As the rounds progress, Mamdani’s coalition appears broader than Cuomo’s, with a 16-point gain from the first to final ballot compared to Cuomo’s 11-point increase.
Ultimately, Mamdani and Cuomo finish within the margin of error on the final ballot, with Cuomo at 51% and Mamdani at 49%.
This marks a major turnaround for Mamdani since the last Data for Progress poll in late March, which had Cuomo at 70% on the final ballot and Mamdani at just 30%, a clear blowout for the former governor at the time.
As the anti-Cuomo coalition gains momentum ahead of this month’s primary, the big question now is: how close can Mamdani get to overtaking Cuomo?
Anything could happen between now and the end of the month, but one thing’s certain, the race for the Democratic nomination for NYC mayor is shaping up to be anything but boring.