Progressive Democratic New York State Assembly member Zohran Mamdani has a 21-point lead in the race to become mayor of New York City, with voters seeing him as the best choice to handle the city’s problems, according to a new Fox News poll.
Why It Matters
The New York mayoral race is commanding national attention, with major policy, demographic and ideological shifts at stake for America’s most populous city.
Mamdani, if successful in the November 4 vote, would become the city’s first Muslim mayor—a historic milestone at a time that President Donald Trump is steering the country sharply to the right, framing opposition from the left as tantamount to a threat to national security, and targeting Democrat-run cities for what he says is their failure to get tough on crime.
What To Know
Mandani, a self-described Democratic socialist, has a 21-point lead among New York’s registered voters, with the backing of 49 percent, while 28 percent support independent candidate and former state governor Andrew Cuomo, and 13 percent Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa, according to the Fox poll.
Among likely voters, Mamdani’s support has risen to 52 percent, with Cuomo on 28 percent and Sliwa on 14 percent, Fox said. The poll was conducted on October 10-14 and based on interviews of 1,003 registered voters in New York, randomly selected from a voter file.
“The Democratic nominee…[is] maintaining a substantial lead in the New York mayoral race as voters see him as best to handle the city’s top problems. He also receives positive personal reviews and has more supporters who are enthusiastic and committed to voting,” Fox said.
Support for Mamdani has increased by 5 percentage points among likely voters since Fox’s September poll.
Mamdani’s strongest support comes from very liberal voters—capturing 78 percent of the group—alongside voters under the age of 30 (67 percent), Democrats (63 percent), and women under 45 (62 percent).
Cuomo has the backing of 44 percent of moderates, 44 percent of voters aged over 65, 42 percent of women over the age of 45 and 35 percent of independents.
Twenty-five percent of those polled said crime was New York’s top problem, while 20 percent said the cost of living, and 16 percent said housing.
Mamdani, Cuomo and Sliwa faced off in a debate on Thursday evening in which the Democrat was confronted about the phrase “globalize the intifada,” which has been used by pro-Palestinian activists and has become a sticking point between Mamdani and parts of New York’s Jewish community.
Pro-Palestinian activists view the phrase as a call for global support of Palestinian resistance against Israel, but many Jewish people view the saying as antisemitic and a call for violence.
The Fox poll found that 42 percent of Jewish voters favor Cuomo, while 38 percent back Mamdani and 13 percent support Sliwa.
What People Are Saying
Republican pollster Daron Shaw, who conducts Fox News polls with Democratic pollster Chris Anderson, said: “The interesting question is about turnout. Will voters who oppose Mamdani but are ambivalent about the other candidates hold their noses and show up for Cuomo?”
What Happens Next
New York’s mayoral election is set for November 4. The main contenders are due to debate again on October 22.
