Disgraced former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is attempting to stage a comeback bid in the NYC mayoral race.
However, a new Quinnipiac University poll shows that far-left socialist Zohran Mamdani still holds a commanding lead.
According to the poll released Thursday, Mamdani, who beat Cuomo to secure the Democrat primary in June, leads with 46% of likely voters.
Cuomo has climbed to 33%, while Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa remains at 15% support.
The shake-up comes after outgoing current Mayor Eric Adams, a former Democrat-turned-independent, officially dropped his reelection bid on September 28.
He dropped out following months of dismal numbers and mounting scandals.
Adams, who once pitched himself as a law-and-order moderate, had failed to gain traction with voters fed up with crime, homelessness, and economic decline.
Cuomo’s Attempted Rebrand
Cuomo’s numbers represent a 10-point jump from Quinnipiac’s last survey on September 10, when he sat at just 23%.
His campaign immediately touted the movement as proof that voters are giving him a second look despite his resignation in disgrace three years ago amid sexual harassment and corruption scandals.
“Andrew Cuomo is up 10 points since September, while Zohran Mamdani remains stagnant and Curtis Sliwa continues to fade away,” Cuomo spokesman Rich Azzopardi said in a statement.
“This is now a two-person race … New Yorkers are rallying behind proven leadership.”
Critics note that Cuomo’s pitch centers on his past infrastructure projects and claims of “keeping New York safe,” despite his failed pandemic leadership and years of Democrat policies that left the state plagued by high crime and mass exodus.
The Socialist Is Still in Front
Despite Cuomo’s momentum, Mamdani, a self-described Democratic socialist and outspoken critic of Israel, has yet to lose ground.
He remains ahead by double digits, buoyed by his support from progressive activists and the Democrat machine that propelled him out of Queens.
GOP Sidelined in a Deep-Blue City
Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, founder of the Guardian Angels, has remained steady at 15%.
His low support underscores the uphill battle Republicans face in the deep-blue city.
Still, Sliwa’s presence could prove decisive if disaffected Democrats turn to him as an alternative to the scandal-ridden Cuomo and radical Mamdani.
What’s Next
The poll surveyed 1,015 likely voters from October 3–7, with a margin of error of ±3.9%.
Analysts say Cuomo has managed to consolidate most of Adams’ abandoned supporters, but Mamdani’s grip on the progressive base makes him difficult to dislodge.
With Cuomo fighting to rehabilitate his image and Mamdani representing the far-left flank of the Democratic Party, New Yorkers are now faced with a stark choice: return to the political past or embrace an even more radical future.
Either way, the outcome looks bleak.
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