Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani holds a commanding 25-point lead over former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in New York City's mayoral race just five days before Election Day, according to Emerson College Polling.
The Emerson College Polling/PIX11/The Hill survey, released Thursday, shows Mamdani with 50% support among likely voters, compared to 25% for Cuomo, 21% for Republican Curtis Sliwa, and 4% undecided.
When undecided voters are factored in, Mamdani's lead expands slightly to 51% over Cuomo's 26%, with Sliwa unchanged at 21%, The Hill reported.
The survey indicates Mamdani's advantage has widened significantly since September, when the same poll found him leading Cuomo by 15 points.
Sliwa, meanwhile, has doubled his support since then, from 10% to 21%, as Cuomo's backing has slightly slipped.
"Mamdani appears to have built a coalition across key demographics, increasing his margin among Black voters since last month, from 50% to 71%, whereas Cuomo dropped 10 points among Black voters since September," said Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling.
Kimball added that Mamdani "continues to have a base of young voters," with 69% of those under 50 supporting him, compared to 37% of voters over 50.
Among older voters, Cuomo and Sliwa split the remainder at 31% and 28%, respectively.
PIX11 noted that Mamdani, a 34-year-old Queens assemblyman, could make history as New York City's first Muslim and first immigrant mayor in modern times, and its youngest in more than a century.
His sweeping platform includes free city buses, rent freezes, and universal childcare, along with expanded protections for immigrants, LGBTQ+ New Yorkers, and small businesses.
If the polling holds, the results would mark a stunning rise for Mamdani, who defeated Cuomo in the June Democratic Party primary.
Despite late efforts by outgoing Mayor Eric Adams and moderate Democrats to rally behind Cuomo's independent bid, the former governor appears unable to close the gap.
Early voting turnout is running about five times higher than in 2021, according to preliminary data from the New York City Board of Elections, with older voters making up a larger share of ballots cast than in Mamdani's primary victory.
Still, the PIX11 poll found the assemblyman performing strongly even among older voters.
The poll of 640 likely or early voters was conducted Oct. 25–27 and has a margin of error of plus/minus 3.8 percentage points.
Mamdani's campaign momentum has been buoyed by endorsements from high-profile progressives such as Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.
At a rally in Queens last weekend, Sanders called Mamdani's campaign a movement "to defeat the oligarchs," while Ocasio-Cortez said his victory would signal that "a progressive message can prevail."
Cuomo, who resigned as governor in 2021 amid sexual harassment allegations, has tried to portray Mamdani as a radical whose agenda would drive residents and businesses out of the city. But Emerson's findings show his message failing to resonate across the electorate.
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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