From left, Independent candidate former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa and Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani participate in a mayoral debate, Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo)
New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani continues to hold a double-digit lead in the race, but his advantage over Andrew M. Cuomo tightens considerably when Republican Curtis Sliwa is excluded from the contest, according to a new poll.A new poll from AARP and Gotham Polling indicates that Democrat Zohran Mamdani maintains a lead in the New York City mayoral race with 43.2%.
Independent candidate Andrew Cuomo follows in second place at 28.9%, while Republican Curtis Sliwa holds third place with 19.4%. The race is entering its final phase, with the next debate scheduled for Wednesday, early voting set to commence in five days, and Election Day 15 days away, CBS news reported. CBS News New York reports that the same poll suggests a tight race between Cuomo and Mamdani should Sliwa withdraw, placing Cuomo four percentage points behind Mamdani—within the poll’s margin of error. In such a scenario, Mamdani would lead with 44.6% against Cuomo’s 40.7%. “I’m not dropping out,” Sliwa declared, reaffirming his participation in the race. Last week, Cuomo had expressed that Sliwa’s continued campaign would hinder his chances of defeating Mamdani. However, on Monday morning, Cuomo altered his stance, stating on Fox News that Sliwa is “irrelevant.” “He does take a certain number of votes, and to that extent, he is a spoiler. I believe he’s, ultimately, irrelevant, because he’s not a viable candidate and I don’t think people are gonna throw away their vote,” Cuomo stated. Sliwa responded, “I’m not dropping out. One person, one vote. That’s how we determine elections. I never heard a caveat that said one person, one vote, and of course others need to drop out along the way.” Mamdani welcomed Sliwa’s participation, stating, “It’s genuinely positive for our democracy that there’s another candidate in this race who believes New York City voters should pick their next mayor, not billionaires who mostly live somewhere else.” He also criticised Cuomo for focusing on other candidates, noting, “We are spending this time speaking directly to New Yorkers. Andrew Cuomo is spending it speaking about the other candidates.” All three candidates are scheduled to appear again on the debate stage this Wednesday night on NY1.
