Mamdani holds 20-point lead in Suffolk poll for NYC mayoral race

Zohran Mamdani holds a dominant 20-point lead in the race for New York City Hall, according to a Suffolk University CityView poll released Tuesday. Mamdani leads former Gov Andrew Cuomo 45 percent to 25 percent among likely voters, with Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa at 9 percent and incumbent Mayor Eric Adams at 8 percent. The CityView poll surveyed 500 likely general election voters from September 16 to 18 and has a margin of error plus or minus 4.4 percentage points.

Demographic breakdown shows Mamdani leading across minority groups. Fifty-three percent of Black voters support Mamdani, 21 percent Cuomo, 10 percent Adams, and 2 percent Sliwa. Among Hispanics, 52 percent back Mamdani, 22 percent Cuomo, 8 percent Sliwa, 7 percent Adams. Among Asian voters, 58 percent back Mamdani, 20 percent Cuomo, 9 percent Sliwa, 4 percent Adams. White voters tilt toward Cuomo but Mamdani remains ahead with 38 percent to 30 percent for Cuomo, 13 percent for Sliwa, and 9 percent for Adams. The results come as Cuomo and Adams campaign on independent ballot lines, with Adams having skipped the Democratic primary amid fallout from federal corruption charges that were eventually dropped by the Trump administration.

Mamdani leads Cuomo 45 to 25; Sliwa 9 percent. The results mirror other polls conducted in recent weeks that show a double-digit lead for Mamdani. One notable difference is that other polls had Sliwa higher; for example, a Marist University poll released a week earlier had Sliwa at 17 percent and Adams trailing the field at 8 percent. The Suffolk poll was conducted with live phone interviews with 500 likely general election voters from Sept. 16 to 18, and the margin of error remains plus or minus 4.4 percentage points.

Respondents cited affordability as the top issue (21 percent), crime (20 percent), economy and jobs (14 percent), housing (9 percent), local response to Trump initiatives (8 percent), racism and justice/equality (7 percent), and schools and education (6 percent). David Paleologos, director of the Suffolk University Political Research Center, said the poll shows that the issues New Yorkers care about include affordability, crime and the economy. The results come as the campaign season intensifies and candidates press their cases across a crowded field that also includes Conservative Party nominee Irene Estrada and independent candidates Jim Walden and Joseph Hernandez.