Cuomo leads field in NYC mayor's race as New Yorkers sour on Adams: Poll
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Andrew Cuomo and Eric Adams on July 14, 2021, in New York City. Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images
Early polling in the New York City mayor's race suggests former N.Y. Gov. Andrew Cuomo holds a significant advantage over incumbent Eric Adams.
The big picture: Months out from elections, Cuomo leads the field as New Yorkers sour on Adams, who is facing federal bribery and fraud charges — but there is no commanding consensus on a front-runner, per a Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday.
Zoom in: The NYC mayoral primary is scheduled for June and the general election is in November.
- If the Democratic primary for mayor were being held now, Cuomo would receive 31% support and Adams would get 11%, per the poll.
- Nine other candidates who have announced their bids would receive single-digit support, the survey found.
- The poll of 1,260 New York City registered voters was conducted from Feb. 27 to March 3 — in between which Cuomo officially announced his bid for mayor on March 1.
Between the lines: Both men have been embattled in scandals.
- Cuomo resigned as governor as governor in 2021 after an independent investigation found he sexually harassed multiple women. He denied any wrongdoing.
- Adams is running for re-election despite facing a federal indictment, which he denies. The incumbent mayor has withstood pressure to resign and his criminal case may ultimately get dropped due to a directive from top Department of Justice officials.
By the numbers: A record-low 20% of voters approve of the way Adams is handling his job as mayor, per the poll. Some 67% disapprove and 13% did not offer an opinion.
- The findings mark the lowest job approval rating of any NYC mayor in the nearly 30 years since Quinnipiac began polling the city's registered voters.
- The poll shows that 78% of Democrats, 63% independents and 52% of Republicans disapprove of the way Adams is handling his job.
- 56% said Adams should resign as mayor, according to the poll.
Zoom out: Several others polls have shown Cuomo leading among Democratic candidates.
- Cuomo held 33% support in a February poll of NYC Democratic primary voters, compared to Adams' 10%, according to Emerson College Polling.
- Another recent survey showed Cuomo leading with 35% of the vote, followed by City Comptroller Brad Lander, per Honan Strategy Group.
