Socialist Mamdani boasts commanding lead in NYC mayoral race, poll shows

Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani is leading by a wide margin in the New York City mayor’s race, according to a New York Times/Siena College poll released Tuesday.

Of likely voters surveyed, 46% said they would support Mamdani, an avowed democratic socialist, in the Big Apple’s mayoral race, according to the poll. Support for Mamdani is particularly powerful among younger and highly educated voters, the poll found.

Meanwhile, 24% of likely New York City voters said they would back disgraced former Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo, 15% would support Republican mayoral nominee Curtis Sliwa and just 9% would vote for incumbent Democratic Mayor Eric Adams, according to the survey.

Cuomo and Adams are both running for mayor as independents yet remain registered Democrats. Cuomo lost to Mamdani in New York City’s June 24 Democratic mayoral primary.

“Mamdani is the only candidate who can win this election because he’s the Democrat, and 60% of New York City voters are Democrats. In a four-way race where only a plurality is needed, that all but guarantees victory,” Sam Kay, a pollster at OnMessage Inc., a Republican consulting firm, told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “Even in a head-to-head with Cuomo or Adams, Mamdani would have the edge—Cuomo carries heavy baggage with more than half the electorate viewing him unfavorably, and Adams is in even worse shape with 68% unfavorable.”

“Mamdani proved his strength in the primary, breaking through in the nation’s toughest media market with alternative media and a clear affordability message that connected in New York City,” Kay continued. “That same appeal is fueling his strength with young voters, who see him as a fresh face and a sharp break from the Schumer-Cuomo-Biden Democrats who’ve spent decades losing and selling out. We should all be worried.”

The poll found 49% of voters favored Mamdani to handle the issue of affordability in New York City, while 23% said they would trust Cuomo on the issue and the other candidates trailed behind. Mamdani has notably vowed to implement a variety of taxpayer-funded “free” initiatives such as “free” buses, “free” childcare and city-owned grocery stores if he wins the battle for Gracie Mansion.

“He [Mamdani] is running a brilliant marketing campaign,” Adam Weiss, CEO of AMW PR and host of “Media Exposed” on Real America’s Voice News, told the DCNF. “When you’re young and idealistic, and haven’t earned wealth yet, haven’t worked [for] decades yet, haven’t struggled [financially] yet, these idealistic values and ideals sound great. Free buses, no raising of rent, public grocery stores, other things like taxing the billionaires, all of that feels great because you haven’t done the part in life yet, you haven’t struggled yet, you haven’t worked hard yet, so that’s what young people see.”

“It’s kind of part of his appeal and why he’s captured the youthful vote,” Weiss added. “He does these quirky things on Instagram and TikTok and scavenger hunts and [is] getting people really involved … It’s a different kind of campaign and [it] seems to be working.”

About 37% of likely voters said that having a democratic socialist serve as mayor would be a “good thing” for New York City, while 32% said it would be a “bad thing” for the city and 26% responded that it would be neither a good or bad thing, according to the poll.

Some prominent Democrats have yet to endorse Mamdani in the city’s mayoral race, including New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Some elected Democrats have criticized Mamdani over his far-left policies, including Democratic New York Reps. Laura Gillen and Tom Suozzi.

Gillen wrote in a June 25 statement posted to X that Mamdani’s “entire campaign has been built on unachievable promises and higher taxes.” The same day, Suozzi wrote in a social media post that his prior “serious concerns” about Mamdani “remain.”

Still, Mamdani is viewed by many Democrats as the prospective future face of their party. Additionally, House Speaker Mike Johnson told the DCNF on July 14 that Mamdani’s political rise spells “bad news for New York City,” but “great news for House Republicans.”

“Come the 2026 midterms, voters will be reminded that while the Democrat Party falls further hostage to the radical Left, Republicans are delivering a common sense, America First agenda,” Johnson told the DCNF.

Just 42% of Democrats said they hold a favorable view of capitalism, while 66% said they have a positive view of socialism, according to a Gallup poll released Monday.

Mamdani’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment by time of publication.

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