Cuomo closing the gap on Mamdani in NYC mayoral race ahead of Election Day

With less than a week until election day, Zohran Mamdani holds a double-digit, 10-point lead in the race for the nation’s most populous city, but former Gov. Andrew Cuomo continues to narrow the gap, according to the latest public polling.

Mamdani, the 34-year-old Democratic Socialist congressman from New York’s Queens borough, who shocked the political world in June with his convincing victory. on Cuomo and nine other candidates to win the Democratic Party nomination for mayor, stands at 43 percent support among likely voters, according to a poll released Wednesday by Quinnipiac University.

Cuomo, who resigned as governor in 2021 amid multiple scandals and is running as an independent candidate in the general election after losing the primary, had 33% support in the survey.

The investigation was carried out from Thursday to Monday, after the outgoing mayor Eric Adams endorsed Cuomo in an effort to defeat Mamdani. The embattled Democratic mayor was running for re-election as an independent, but dropped out of the race late last month, although his name remains on the ballot.

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New York City mayoral candidates Zohran Mamdani and former Governor Andrew Cuomo shake hands on the debate stage in New York. (Angelina Katsanis)

Co-founder of the Guardian Angels Curtis Slawawho, for a second consecutive election, is the Republican candidate for mayor of the city dominated by Democrats, stands at 14% in the poll. According to Quinnipiac University, 6% of likely voters are undecided and 3% declined to answer.

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“Make no mistake: The race is tightening and Andrew Cuomo is closing in quickly,” Cuomo campaign spokesman Rich Azzopardi said in a statement.

Mamdani’s 10-point lead on Cuomo is down from its 13-point lead in the previous Quinnipiac poll, conducted in early October. And this latest poll matches that of the University of Suffolk published on Monday, which also reveals that Mamdani is losing ground, now 10 points ahead.

“This is the second poll in a week showing Zohran Mamdani stuck below 45 percent of the vote — despite a lack of scrutiny and glowing media coverage — and Andrew Cuomo winning,” Azzopardi said, while adding that Mamdani is “stuck in the mud.”

“The momentum is coming from Andrew Cuomo – and it’s only growing every day,” Cuomo’s campaign says.

Independent candidate, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, speaks during a town hall debate Thursday, October 16, 2025 in New York. (AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis, swimming pool)

Cuomo increased the volume of his criticism of Mamdani during the latter part of the campaign, with dire warnings that “chaos” would follow a Mamdani victory in the mayoral election.

When asked by Fox News’ Alexis McAdams if Mamdani thought he “had it in the bag,” Mamdani responded Monday that he wasn’t taking anything for granted.

“If you want to take anything for granted, that’s what Andrew Cuomo did in the primary. We don’t want to end up like Andrew Cuomo,” Mamdani said.

Meanwhile, Sliwa, a longtime player in New York City politics, has been the target of a pressure campaign to drop out of the race to set up a head-to-head matchup between Cuomo and Mamdani, in a frenzied effort to avoid a Mamdani victory.

Among those urging Sliwa to end his candidacy is billionaire businessman and conservative radio host John Catsimatidis, a prominent New York Republican and ally of the president. Donald Trump.

Mamdani, of Ugandan descent, if elected, would become the first Muslim and millennial mayor in New York City history.

Zohran Mamdani, Democratic candidate for mayor of New York, accepts the endorsement at United Bodegas of America in the Bronx, New York, Wednesday, October 29, 2025. (Fox News Digital/Deirdre Heavey)

Mamdani cruised to victory in the Democratic primary with an energetic campaign that focused on affordability and New York’s high cost of living. It was fueled by a grassroots army of supporters and the support of the nation’s biggest progressive champions, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont.

The 34-year-old made smart use of social media platforms, including TikTok, in engaging low-propensity voters. He proposed eliminating fares for riding New York City’s vast bus system, making CUNY (City University of New York) “tuition-free,” freezing city housing rents, providing free child care for children up to age 5, and creating government-run grocery stores.

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Mamdani has been heavily criticized by his rivals not only for his far-left proposals, but also for his criticism of Israel, his past negative comments regarding the New York City Police Department (NYPD), and his proposal to shift some responsibilities from the NYPD and focus on social services and community programs.

The Mamdani campaign did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.