NYC Mayor's Race: Cuomo leads in new Marist poll but Mamdani closes gap
NEW YORK (WABC) -- Zohran Mamdani has the momentum and is closing the gap on the frontrunner, Andrew Cuomo.
Andrew Cuomo leads Zohran Mamdani by 10 points, 55% to 45%, in the final round of ranked choice voting, according to a new poll from the Marist Institute for Public Opinion.
With ranked choice voting and no one with a majority of the votes, the race becomes more complicated.
While Cuomo continues to maintain his lead, the poll shows it is stagnant and the race is tightening. But the poll also shows a race not as tight as Mamdani has been saying.
In the Marist Institute poll of likely Democratic Primary voters, none of the candidates has the 50% needed to win, outright.
Cuomo is the first-choice candidate of 38% of likely Democratic primary voters.
Mamdani comes in second with 27%, up from 18% last month.
"I think what we need to do is keep doing what we're doing. We need to keep knocking on doors, with 46,000 volunteers, averaging a thousand new volunteers a day. We've cleared 1.1 million doors so far. We also need to continue to bring light to the fact that in the face of our unprecedented momentum and movement," Mamdani said.
Brad Lander and Adrienne Adams follow. Each receives 7% of the vote
When the city's ranked-choice voting system is simulated, Cuomo ultimately defeats Mamdani by 10 percentage points in the seventh round.
Brad Lander was eliminated one round earlier at 13 percent and every other candidate was stuck in single digits.
With the New York City primary just a week away both front-runners are making their case to voters.
The poll predicts that Cuomo will not win until the seventh round, when he captures 55% to Mamdani's 45%. Lee Miringoff conducted the poll for Marist.
"It's a more uncertain environment than it was a month ago. It's a more uncertain environment than it was just a typical voting pattern and not the ranked choice voting that we have. And Cuomo is in front, but it's not a solid locked in kind of number for him," said Miringoff.
Cuomo spoke before a coalition of 3000 union members near 14th Street, stating he'll bring back stability to the city.
Mamdani was endorsed on Wednesday by former mayoral candidate Maya Wiley adding her name to a list of progressives that includes Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Vermont senator Bernie Sanders.
While Mamdani went to Astoria Queens, to discuss his endorsement from Bernie Sanders.
Likely voters were also asked how the city's next mayor should deal with the Trump Administration. Should he or she oppose President Trump? 72% said yes. 26% preferred compromising with the administration.
It's been a theme in the campaign, with all of the Democratic candidates vowing to push back.
Lander, who was detained yesterday after a scuffle with federal agents, said he's proved his point.
"What New York City needs right now is a mayor is a leader who will stand up and protect New Yorkers. That's what I was doing yesterday. That's what I'm doing today. That's what I'll do tomorrow. And that's what I'll do if elected mayor," Lander said.
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