NYC Voters Head To Polls In Closely-Watched Democratic Mayoral Primary
Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani continues to gain ground on former Governor Andrew Cuomo in New York City’s mayoral race as Democratic primary voters head Tuesday to the polls amid sweltering heat 🥵.
Across polling averages, Cuomo leads by about 7 percentage points with about 35% support, followed by Mamdani at 32%.
The election is being closely watched for a couple of reasons.
The obvious reason is that New York City’s population is larger than that of nearly 40 states and the city is an economic and cultural hub in the U.S.
The less obvious reason is that Democrats are deeply divided about the way forward for their party after Vice President Kamala Harris’ bruising defeat to President Trump in last year’s presidential election.
Mayoral candidates Cuomo and Mamdani are seen as reflecting that divide. Should Democrats stay the course with establishment candidates like Cuomo who can appeal to the vanishing middle ground in the U.S.? Or should they stake their future on more progressive candidates like Mamdani who is so far left, he actually identifies as a Socialist?
ON THE GROUND
Cuomo is polling strongest among Black and Latino voters and union members, and is running as a practical, experienced leader who can take on Trump. Cuomo has gotten backing from many in the Democratic establishment.
Mamdani is performing best among younger, white, college-educated voters, and more male voters. He says his campaign has 46,000 unpaid volunteers who have knocked on 1.3 million doors across the five boroughs.
What people are talking about: Mamdani is a Socialist. Cuomo resigned from New York’s governor’s office in 2021 following multiple sexual harassment allegations.
UP NEXT
If elected, Mamdani would be New York’s youngest mayor in over a century. He supports raising taxes on businesses and the wealthy to fund free buses, child care, and a rent freeze for rent-stabilized units. Cuomo argues Mamdani’s proposals would drive away business and the wealthy.
Since 2021, New York has used ranked choice voting. Polls close at 9 p.m. ET, but a winner is unlikely to be declared Tuesday night. If no candidate wins a majority of first-choice votes, additional rounds will redistribute votes based on second-to-fifth preferences. That count would take place July 1.
Regardless of the outcome, Cuomo said he will continue to run as an independent in November — joining current mayor Eric Adams, a registered Democrat, who is also running as an independent. Adams lost support within the Democratic party after he was indictment on bribery charges. The Trump Justice Department later dropped the charges. If Mamdani loses, he could run as part of the progressive Working Families Party.
