New poll reveals Mamdani still holds commanding double-digit lead over rivals in NYC mayoral race

With six weeks to go until Election Day 2025, Zohran Mamdani remains far ahead of his rivals for New York City mayor, according to a new public opinion poll.

Mamdani, the 33-year-old democratic socialist state lawmaker from Queens who shocked the political world in June with his convincing win over former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and nine other candidates to capture the Democratic Party’s mayoral nomination, holds a 20-point lead over Cuomo.

Mamdani grabs 45% support in the Suffolk University CityView poll of New Yorkers very or somewhat likely to vote in November’s general election for mayor. 

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Cuomo, who resigned as governor in 2021 amid multiple scandals and who is running as an independent candidate in the general election after losing the primary, stands at 25% support in the survey, which was conducted Sept. 16–18.

Guardian Angels co-founder Curtis Sliwa, who for a second straight election is the Republican mayoral nominee in the Democratic-dominated city, stands at 9%. And embattled incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, who is running as an independent after deciding to skip the Democratic primary amid anemic polling, grabbed 8% support in the survey.

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Three other candidates on the ballot combined for 1% support, with 9% undecided.

Suffolk highlighted that theirs is the first public poll that includes all seven candidates listed on the official ballot, and the nine affiliated political parties or designations.

“The official ballot lists Mamdani and Sliwa twice each because they represent multiple political parties or designations,” Suffolk University Political Research Center director David Paleologos said. “This helps Mamdani because he is listed first on the ballot as the Democratic Party nominee, and then again fourth on the ballot as the Working Families Party nominee.”

Cuomo is listed once and is the eighth selection out of nine ballot choices.

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The Suffolk poll is the latest to show Mamdani remains the clear frontrunner in the Democratic-dominated city. Four other surveys conducted earlier this month indicated Mamdani’s lead over Cuomo and the rest of the field ranging from 15 to 22 points.

Both Sliwa and Adams have repeatedly committed to staying in the race in recent weeks amid multiple reports that President Donald Trump’s advisors floated administration roles for both mayoral hopefuls if they dropped out.

Trump, a native New Yorker who now calls Florida home, has urged that the field narrow in order to offer Cuomo a better chance at possibly defeating Mamdani, whom the president repeatedly derides is a communist.

The Ugandan-born Mamdani, if elected, would become the first Muslim and first millennial mayor of the nation’s most populous city.

Mamdani surged to the Democratic primary victory thanks to an energetic campaign that put a major focus on affordability and New York City’s high cost of living. It was fueled by a grassroots army of supporters and backing from top national progressive champions, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont.

Mamdani made smart use of social media platforms, including TikTok, as he engaged low-propensity voters. He proposed eliminating fares to ride New York City’s vast bus system, making CUNY (City University of New York) “tuition-free,” freezing rents on municipal housing, offering free child care for children up to age 5 and setting up 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 certain responsibilities away from the NYPD and focus on social services and community-based programs. 

The new poll indicates affordability, at 21%, is the top issue on the minds of New York City voters, followed by crime at 20%, economy/jobs at 14%, and housing at 9%.

The survey also indicates voters are debunking much of the negative social media narratives about Mamdani and Cuomo.

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According to the poll, 59% of those questioned disagreed that Mamdani is antisemitic. And 52% disagreed that Mamdani, if elected, would raise taxes, causing businesses to flee the city.

Additionally, 53% disagreed that Cuomo, if elected, would continue the unwanted touching and groping that were among the controversies that caused him to resign as governor.