A new poll from The New York Times/Siena College shows Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani has a commanding lead in the race to be the next mayor of New York City. Meanwhile, a group of wealthy business leaders has come together to show their support for former Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
What did the poll show?
The poll found 46% of likely voters plan to support Mamdani on Election Day.
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Cuomo was second at 24%, while Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, who was the GOP candidate in the last election, came in third with 15%. Current Mayor Eric Adams finished fourth in the poll, garnering just 9% of support.
The numbers got a little closer when voters were asked to choose between only Mamdani and Cuomo, with Mamdani receiving 48% of the vote and Cuomo receiving 44%.
It could come down to just those two. Reports indicate Sliwa and Adams are being considered for jobs in the Trump administration, which would cause them to drop out of the race. Adams and Sliwa have since shut down those reports.
New Yorkers also appear to have a much more favorable view of Mamdani. Of those surveyed, 52% said they have either a very favorable or somewhat favorable view of him.
Only 29% shared the same views of Cuomo, with 43% viewing the former governor “very unfavorably.”
New Yorkers also made it very clear what their top issues are. Crime/safety, cost of living/economy and housing/rent prices accounted for 72% of the votes when asked what’s the most important problem facing the city today.
Developers supporting Cuomo
With housing prices being a top concern, some of the city’s richest landlords came out Tuesday morning to support Cuomo.
In an email obtained by The New York Times, Jeff Blau, developer of Hudson Yards, called for decisive action from fellow businessmen to ensure Cuomo becomes the next mayor.
They gathered at the Pool Room on 52nd Street.
One of the policies they likely oppose is Mamdani’s plan to freeze rent for more than two million New Yorkers which could cost landlords nearly $7 billion.
While landlords oppose the plan, New Yorkers appear to support it. That poll showed 69% of those surveyed support freezing rent prices on stabilized units.
New York City currently has the highest cost of living of any city in America, according to city data compiled by Numbeo.
The poll also found 71% of people support increasing taxes on the wealthiest New Yorkers, something Mamdani also plans to do.
Courting endorsements
While real estate developers support Cuomo, both Cuomo and Mamdani are looking for an endorsement from Rev. Al Sharpton. Sharpton recently met with Cuomo and had Mamdani on his MSNBC show.
Mandani has also been heavily endorsed by prominent Democratic socialists Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.
Cuomo received endorsements from former President Bill Clinton and former Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
