September 16, 2025
NYC Mayoralty, September 2025
Mamdani Leads Cuomo by 21 Points Among Likely Voters... Lead Cut in Half in Head-to-Head Match-up
In the contest for New York City Mayor, Zohran Mamdani has a commanding lead in a crowded field of candidates. Mamdani leads his closest competitor, Andrew Cuomo, among likely voters by 21 points. Curtis Sliwa receives support in the high teens while Eric Adams receives high single digits. Mamdani, though, has a ceiling. Without Adams in the contest, Mamdani’s support is little changed, with Cuomo gaining the most ground. In a hypothetical contest without Adams and Sliwa, Cuomo cuts Mamdani’s lead in half, but Mamdani still leads Cuomo by ten percent in the head-to-head match-up.
Among New York City likely voters including those who are undecided yet leaning toward a candidate, 45% support Mamdani. Cuomo receives 24% to 17% for Sliwa. Nine percent back Adams, and 5% are undecided.
Mamdani receives majority support (58%) among Democrats likely to vote while Cuomo only receives 23% from this group. Sliwa has similar support (54%) among Republicans. However, among non-enrolled voters, Sliwa receives 31% to 30% for Cuomo and 20% for Mamdani. A notable 10% of non-enrolled voters are undecided.
If Adams were to drop out of the contest, Mamdani would receive 46% of likely voters' support compared with 30% for Cuomo and 18% for Sliwa. Two percent would support someone else.
In a hypothetical two-way contest between Mamdani and Cuomo, 49% of likely voters would support Mamdani, and 39% would back Cuomo. Seven percent would vote for another candidate, and 5% say they would be undecided. Among Democrats, 61% would back Mamdani. 66% of Republicans would vote for Cuomo. Among non-enrolled voters, 50% would support Cuomo to 29% for Mamdani.
If Adams and/or Sliwa exit the race, 27% of likely voters say the contest would be more fair. 24% believe it would be less fair. However, nearly half (48%) believe it does not make any difference.
If President Donald Trump were to encourage Adams and Sliwa to leave the contest, 57% of likely voters think it would benefit Cuomo while 39% say it would benefit Mamdani.
Likely Voters Think Mamdani Will Win
Regardless of the candidate they support, 63% of likely voters citywide believe Mamdani will win the election. 20% believe Cuomo will win. Only 7% and 6%, respectively, think Adams or Sliwa will win. 73% of Democrats and 51% of non-enrolled voters say Mamdani will win the election. There is less consensus among Republicans.
Majority of Likely Voters with Favorable Impression of Mamdani… Not So Much for the Remaining Field
While a majority of likely voters citywide have a positive view of Mamdani, fewer than four in ten have either a very favorable or somewhat favorable opinion of Cuomo, Adams, or Sliwa.
- A majority of New York City likely voters have either a very favorable (33%) or somewhat favorable (19%) opinion of Mamdani. Four in ten perceive him either very unfavorably (32%) or somewhat unfavorably (8%). More than six in ten Democrats have a positive impression of Mamdani; 43% have a very favorable view of him, and 21% have a somewhat favorable impression of Mamdani.
- About four in ten likely voters have either a very favorable (16%) or somewhat favorable (23%) opinion of Cuomo. Notably, 39%, including 44% of Democrats, have an very unfavorable attitude toward Cuomo.
- Slightly more than one in three likely voters have a positive opinion of Sliwa. 15% view Sliwa very favorably, and 19% have a somewhat favorable impression of the candidate. More than seven in ten Republicans have either a very favorable (47%) or somewhat favorable impression of Sliwa (26%).
- Fewer than three in ten likely voters have either a very favorable (7%) or somewhat favorable (21%) view of Adams. A notable 48%, including 56% of Democrats, have a very unfavorable opinion of the current mayor.
Six in Ten Likely Voters Have a Very Unfavorable View of Trump
60% of likely voters have a very unfavorable opinion of President Trump, and another 5% have a somewhat unfavorable view of him. About one in three have either a very favorable (21%) or somewhat favorable (12%) opinion of the president.
Majority of Adults Citywide Say NYC Quality of Life Has Gotten Worse
55% of New York City adults, up from 36% in 2018, think the quality of life in the city has gotten worse in the last year. While 13% believe it has gotten better, 16% say the city’s quality of life has stayed the same which, they think, is a good thing. However, 14% say there has been little change, and that is a negative.
Most NYC Residents Think the City is Unaffordable
88% of adults citywide say the city is either not very affordable or not affordable at all. Only 12% of residents believe it is affordable or very affordable.
Methodology
This Marist Poll New York City survey of 1,470 adults was conducted September 8th through September 11th, 2025, by the Marist Poll. Adults 18 years of age and older residing in New York City were contacted through a multi-mode design: By phone using live interviewers, by text, or online. Results for all adults (n=1,470) are statistically significant within ±3.2 percentage points. Results for registered voters (n=1,207) are statistically significant within ±3.5 percentage points. Results for likely voters (n=885) are statistically significant within ±4.1 percentage points. For full methodology and tables, click on the Survey Data button below.