Politics

Eric Adams Exit Narrows NYC Mayoral Race, But Cuomo Still Trails Socialist Mamdani Badly In New Poll

(Screenshot/ABC/"The View")

Disgraced former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has made gains in the New York City mayoral race, but Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani still leads, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released Thursday.

Mamdani, who won the Democratic primary in June, is leading the race with 46% of likely voters backing him, while Cuomo gained 33% support and Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa secured 15% of the vote, according to the poll. The release of the poll comes after current New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced on Sept. 28 that he was dropping his longshot reelection bid, despite his campaign’s “successes.”

By comparison, Quinnipiac University’s Sept. 10 poll found that Mamdani was backed by 45% of likely voters, with Cuomo receiving 23% support, Sliwa notching 15% and Adams getting just 12%.

“The numbers changed but the contours of the race haven’t,” Quinnipiac University Poll Assistant Director Mary Snow said in a statement. “Andrew Cuomo picked up the bulk of Adams’ supporters cutting into Zohran Mamdani’s lead, but Mamdani’s frontrunner status by double digits stays intact.”

Mamdani’s campaign did not respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.

“Today’s Quinnipiac poll confirms what New Yorkers are seeing across the five boroughs — this race is shifting decisively,” Cuomo spokesman Rich Azzopardi said in a statement provided to the DCNF. “Andrew Cuomo is up 10 points since September, while Zohran Mamdani remains stagnant and Curtis Sliwa continues to fade away.”

“The path is now clear: This is a two-person race between Andrew Cuomo and Zohran Mamdani,” Azzopardi continued. “As voters learn more about the stakes and Cuomo’s record of results — rebuilding LaGuardia, revitalizing the MTA, expanding affordable housing, and keeping New York safe — they are rallying behind proven leadership.”

Moreover, Sliwa told the DCNF in a statement that he believes “the only poll that matters is one on Election Day.”

“We all know Andrew Cuomo was measuring the drapes at Gracie Mansion back in June,” Sliwa added. “We see how that worked out. Don’t believe the polls. I have real solutions and I’m confident we’re going to take this city back on November 4th.”

Analysts previously told the DCNF that Adams’ ending his reelection campaign last month could shift the momentum of the city’s mayoral race. Adams’ exit from the race came after he consistently lagged behind the other mayoral candidates in recent polling.

The poll surveyed 1,015 likely voters in New York City from Oct. 3 to Oct. 7, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.9 percentage points, including the design effect.