New NYC poll: Cuomo holds sizable lead over Mamdani
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Andrew Cuomo holds a smaller-than-last month but still sizable lead over Zohran Mamdani — the surging democratic socialist from Queens — in an anticipated NYC Democratic mayoral primary poll from Marist out this morning.
Why it matters: Mamdani's charisma and populist platform — including freezing rent, no-fare buses and a $30 minimum wage by 2030 — have made him Cuomo's strongest challenger in the race to take on the "second toughest job in America."
The poll shows Cuomo is the first-choice candidate of 38% of likely Democratic voters for next Tuesday's primary.
- Mamdani, a 33-year-old state assemblyman, is in second with 27% — up from 18% in Marist's poll last month.
- In ranked-choice voting — how NYC primaries are conducted — Marist estimates that Cuomo would beat Mamdani in the seventh round (charted above).
Zoom out: Mamdani's momentum has made him a rising star in Democratic politics.
- He was endorsed yesterday by Sen. Bernie Sanders and already has the backing of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who cast Cuomo, 67, as a member of the nation's political "gerontocracy."
- The former governor's political baggage — including sexual harassment accusations that forced his resignation and questions about his handling of the pandemic — gives his rivals massive targets in the final days of the campaign.
What's next: Both candidates could attempt to run again in the general election, even if they lose the primary — Cuomo as an independent and Mamdani on the Working Families Party ticket.
- Mayor Eric Adams withdrew from the primary in April to run as an independent. They would also face Republican Curtis Sliwa.
