A new poll released Monday in the New York City mayoral race shows Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani holding a double-digit lead over independent candidate Andrew Cuomo and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa, according to JNS.
The AARP/Gotham poll of 1,040 likely voters places Mamdani at 43.2%, followed by Cuomo at 28.9% and Sliwa at 19.4%. However, the margins narrow significantly in hypothetical head-to-head matchups. In a direct contest between Mamdani and Cuomo, Mamdani leads 44.6% to 40.7%, with nearly 15% undecided. If Cuomo were to exit the race, Sliwa’s support would rise to 31.5%, with Mamdani at 46.8% and 21.8% undecided. The poll carries a margin of error of ±4%.
The Sliwa campaign dismissed the poll’s credibility, telling JNS it “might as well have been paid for and printed at Cuomo headquarters.”
Campaign spokesman Daniel Kurzyna added, “Even with questions slanted in his favor, it still confirms what New Yorkers know: Curtis Sliwa’s campaign is surging and our voters are not going anywhere.”
Kurzyna continued, “The overwhelming majority of Sliwa supporters would not touch Andrew Cuomo with a 10-foot pole. They will vote for Curtis, and that is what is driving the panic inside Cuomo’s camp.”
He emphasized, “Curtis is not dropping out. Andrew Cuomo already lost, resigned in disgrace to avoid impeachment and empowered the radical left that gave us Zohran Mamdani.”
Cuomo’s campaign responded by framing the race as a “dead heat” between the former governor and Mamdani if Sliwa were to exit. “As New Yorkers see this reality, they’ll discard the spoiler Curtis Sliwa and rally behind Cuomo to save the city,” the campaign stated. “Voters don’t buy Mamdani’s divisive, extreme politics or believe that a 34-year-old, who’s never held a real job, is ready to run the greatest city in the world.”
Mamdani has faced heavy criticism due to his anti-Israel stance, which included his failure to condemn the phrase "globalize the intifada" and his criticism of Israel on October 8, 2023 - just one day after the Hamas massacre in southern Israel.
He also recently declared that he would stop using the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA)’s working definition of antisemitism.
In addition, Mamdani has repeatedly accused Israel of war crimes in its battle against Hamas in Gaza.
Last week, Mamdani avoided, during an interview with Martha MacCallum on Fox News, a question on whether Hamas should lay down its weapons and leave Gaza.
“I believe that any future here in New York City is one that we have to make sure that's affordable for all, and as it pertains to Israel and Palestine, that we have to ensure that there is peace. And that is the future that we have to fight for,” replied Mamdani.
Pressed on whether he believes Hamas should lay down its weapons and leave the leadership in Gaza, he said, “I don't really have opinions about the future of Hamas and Israel beyond the question of justice and safety and the fact that anything has to abide by international law. And that applies to Hamas, that applies to the Israeli military, applies to anyone you could ask me about.”
Later, during the mayoral debate, Mamdani was clearer when asked what he thinks of Hamas and whether he believes the terrorist organization should disarm.
"Of course I believe they should lay down their arms... a ceasefire means ceasing fire," Mamdani replied.
He then said that this action is important for the end of the "genocide" in Gaza and the release of more humanitarian aid into the territory.
Current New York City Mayor Eric Adams recently withdrew from the race, amid reports that he had been pressured by the White House to do so in a move intended to clear the path for Cuomo to defeat Mamdani.
Following Adams’ withdrawal, several Jewish organizations threw their support behind Cuomo’s election campaign.