NEW YORK, NY –
With less than a week until Election Day, Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani holds a 10-point lead over independent candidate Andrew Cuomo in the race for New York City mayor, according to a new Quinnipiac University poll released on October 29.
Conducted between October 23 and 27, the poll shows Mamdani, a Queens assemblyman, with 43% support among likely voters. Cuomo follows with 33%, while Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa trails at 14%. An additional 6% remain undecided, and 3% declined to respond. Mamdani’s support has dipped slightly since the October 9 Quinnipiac poll, where he held 46%.
“The candidates have made their case, early voting is underway, Zohran Mamdani has a 10-point lead over Andrew Cuomo with Curtis Sliwa a distant third, but one wildcard remains”, said Mary Snow, Quinnipiac University Poll Assistant Director. “The percentage of likely voters not weighing in has increased a bit since earlier this month, suggesting there’s room for movement in the final stretch”.
Party affiliation continues to shape voter preferences. Among Democrats, 59% support Mamdani, compared to 31% for Cuomo and 4% for Sliwa. Among Republicans, Cuomo leads narrowly with 45%, followed by Sliwa at 44%, and Mamdani at 5%. Independents are evenly split between Mamdani and Cuomo at 34% each, with Sliwa at 18%.
Age also plays a significant role. Mamdani dominates among younger voters, with 64% of those aged 18–34 backing him. Support for Mamdani declines with age, while Cuomo and Sliwa gain traction among older demographics. Among 50 -to 64 -year -olds, 41 % back Cuomo, 35 % Mamdani, 17 % Sliwa, and 3 % are undecided; and, among 65 years of age and over, 39 % support Cuomo, 33 % Mamdani, 19 % back Sliwa, and 4 % are undecided.
“Mamdani is the clear favorite among younger voters while the race is much closer among voters 50 and over as Cuomo and Sliwa fare better among older voters”, added Snow.
When asked to identify the most important issue influencing their vote, 26% of likely voters cited crime, followed by affordable housing (19%), inflation (13%), and health care (10%). Among Democrats, affordable housing topped the list; Republicans overwhelmingly prioritized crime; and independents ranked crime, inflation, and housing as key concerns.Given a list of nine issues and asked which is the most important one in deciding who to vote for in the election for NYC mayor, 26 % of likely voters say crime, 19 % say affordable housing, 13 % say inflation, and 10 % say health care, with no other issue reaching double digits.
