🗳️ Andrew Cuomo Narrows Gap Against Zohran Mamdani in NYC Mayoral Race as Dem Socialist’s Lead Cut in Half, New Poll Finds

Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is rapidly closing the gap in the New York City mayoral race, with a new poll showing his insurgent campaign gaining momentum against Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani.

According to a MetroPulse/NY1 survey released this week, Mamdani’s once commanding 12-point lead has now shrunk to just six points, marking the first major shift in the race since Cuomo entered the field earlier this fall.

Cuomo’s Comeback?

The poll shows Mamdani leading 44% to Cuomo’s 38%, with 13% of voters still undecided and 5% favoring other candidates. That’s a significant tightening from last month’s numbers, when Mamdani held a double-digit edge fueled by support from younger and progressive voters.

Cuomo, who resigned as governor in 2021 amid controversy, has spent recent months rebranding himself as a centrist Democrat focused on crime, housing, and fiscal stability — issues that have resonated with older and moderate voters across the five boroughs.

“New Yorkers want leadership, not ideology,” Cuomo said at a campaign stop in Brooklyn on Tuesday. “People are tired of chaos — they want competence.”

Mamdani’s Progressive Push

Mamdani, a state assemblyman from Queens and a leading voice in the Democratic Socialist movement, continues to attract strong grassroots enthusiasm and small-dollar donations. He has framed Cuomo’s comeback bid as “a return to the politics that failed working families.”

“We can’t fix New York by going backward,” Mamdani told supporters at a rally in Astoria. “This city deserves bold solutions, not recycled power.”

Voter Breakdown

Poll data suggests the race is sharply divided along generational and geographic lines:

Mamdani dominates among voters under 35 and in western Queens and parts of Brooklyn.

Cuomo holds commanding leads in Staten Island, southern Brooklyn, and much of Manhattan.

Political analysts say the trend lines favor Cuomo if undecided voters break late toward experience over activism.

“It’s a comeback no one thought possible,” said NYU political analyst Marcia Levin. “Cuomo’s name recognition and message discipline are starting to pay off.”

The Road Ahead

The primary is still months away, but insiders say the tightening numbers could reshape the narrative of the 2025 race — turning what once looked like a progressive landslide into a potentially bruising Democratic showdown.