The momentum of Democratic nominee for Mayor of New York City, Zohran Mamdani, shows no sign of slowing, according to recent poll figures.
The 33-year-old democratic socialist shocked pollsters last month when he beat former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo – a veteran of the centrist establishment – in the Democratic primary.
Now, 40 percent of likely voters polled by Data for Progress (DfP) say they would vote for Mamdani if the mayoral election was held tomorrow.
Why It Matters
New York’s mayoral contest is being closely watched as it could determine the direction of the city as well as the Democratic Party as a whole on issues of affordability, public safety and social policy.
The race is being seen as a litmus test for a party looking to recover from last November’s election losses. The DfP polling puts Mamdani ahead of Cuomo and incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, both of whom are standing as independent candidates.
Despite Mamdani’s progressive base, the broader Democratic Party establishment has not unified behind the state Assemblyman and his platform sharply departs from establishment policies. Some Democrats fear his campaign pledges – rent freezes to make the city more affordable for low-income New Yorkers, city-owned grocery stores, no-cost child care and “Trump-proofing” city administration – could alienate centrist and independent voters needed for a general election victory.
Mamdani has faced criticism from Republicans too. President Donald Trump has described him as a “Communist Lunatic”, while some Republicans have urged the Trump administration to revoke his citizenship and deport him. Supporters of Mamdani, an American citizen who was born in Uganda, have dismissed the calls as bigoted and Islamophobic.
However, criticism has seemingly not slowed his campaign’s momentum.
What To Know
Mayoral Candidate Zohran Mamdani gets endorsed by the United Teachers Federation in downtown Manhattan on July 9th 2025. | Kaite Godowski/MediaPunch /IPX/MediaPunch /IPX
If the mayoral race were held tomorrow, 40 percent of those polled by DfP would vote for Mamdani, while 25 percent would vote for Cuomo and 15 percent would vote for Adams, with 14 percent backing Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, and one percent voting for the independent candidate Jim Walden.
Some 47 percent of independent voters polled had a very or somewhat favorable view of Mamdani, while only 30 percent of them had a very or somewhat favorable view of the Democratic Party as a whole. Only seven percent of Republican poll respondents viewed Mamdani in a very or somewhat favorable light.
According to poll respondents, the three most important issues in the race are “crime and public safety,” “economy, jobs and inflation,” and “housing”.
The poll surveyed 756 likely voters between July 1 and July 6 with a margin of error of +/- 4 percentage points.
What People Are Saying
Zohran Mamdani on X (formerly Twitter), following the Democratic mayoral primary: “We live in the most expensive city in the United States. Running on a bold economic agenda to lower costs and make life easier for working people was at the heart of our success.”
Cuomo spokesperson Rich Azzopardi said after the primary: “We’ll be continuing conversations with people from all across the city while determining next steps. Extremism, division and empty promises are not the answer to this city’s problems, and while this was a look at what motivates a slice of our primary electorate, it does not represent the majority.”
Eric Adams on X, on July 11: “Zohran Mamdani studied poverty. I lived it. He’s an academic elitist with plans he can’t implement, or worse, that would hurt working-class New Yorkers.”
Curtis Sliwa on X, on July 9: “While Cuomo and Adams fight like children in the schoolyard telling each other to drop out, I’m out in the streets talking to New Yorkers about the issues that matter – public safety, affordability, and quality of life – which is what my campaign is about… I’m the only one who can beat Mamdani and bring real change.”
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