Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo‘s hopes for a political comeback may have hit a roadblock.
A new poll, conducted by Public Policy Polling for Democrat Justin Brannan’s city comptroller campaign on June 6 and June 7 among 573 likely voters, and reviewed by Politico, shows socialist Zohran Mamdani, 33, ahead of Cuomo for the first time, two weeks before the Democratic primary.
Newsweek has contacted representatives of Cuomo and Mamdani for comment via email.
Why It Matters
A primary win for Cuomo, 67, would mark a dramatic political comeback, just four years after he resigned as New York governor in 2021 amid the threat of impeachment over sexual misconduct allegations, which he has consistently denied. No charges relating to the allegations have ever been brought against him.
But this latest poll suggest he may face strong headwinds from voters still skeptical of his leadership.
What To Know
The poll showed Mamdani beating Cuomo 35 percent to 31 percent—a difference that is narrowly within the 4.1 percent margin of error.
While Mamdani’s strongest backing came from white and Asian voters, he also attracted 27 percent of Black voters and nearly one-third of Hispanic voters. Still, Andrew Cuomo maintains a solid lead among Black voters at 42 percent.
Meanwhile, the survey also revealed a wide gap between the two leading candidates and the rest of the field. City Comptroller Brad Lander, despite his citywide role and heavy campaign spending, drew just 9 percent support. Former Comptroller Scott Stringer was at 5 percent, and City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams trailed at 4 percent, even with high-profile endorsements from Attorney General Letitia James and labor giant District Council 37.
The poll is the first to give Mamdani, who was endorsed by Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez earlier this month, a lead over Cuomo. The primary election is a rank-choice voting election, meaning voters have the opportunity to rank their five top choices for mayor.
Since entering the race on March 1 to challenge Mayor Eric Adams, who will seek reelection as an independent, Cuomo has consistently held the frontrunner position, with most public polls showing him maintaining a comfortable lead.
A Cuomo campaign poll conducted by Expedition Strategies and shared with Politico earlier this week showed the former governor leading Mamdani by 12 points—56 percent to 44 percent—after eight rounds of ranked-choice voting. That poll was conducted during the same period as the Public Policy Polling survey that had Mamdani in the lead.
And a SurveyUSA poll conducted in mid-May 2025 showed that he was the top choice among likely Democratic voters for the upcoming June primary, with 43 percent support. He held a solid lead over his closest competitor, Mamdani, who had 11 percent.
But some polls have shown Mamdani catching up to his opponent.
That includes the most recent Data for Progress poll, which surveyed 819 likely Democratic primary voters between May 30 to June 4, and showed Mamdani 2 points behind Cuomo in a poll on the final ballot of the primary’s rank-choice voting system.
The poll also showed that Mamdani was polling 10 percent more favorable than Cuomo, at 58 percent to Cuomo’s 48 percent
Overall, Cuomo’s support is strongest among Black voters (74 percent), voters over 50 (66 percent), and women (with a 58 percent to 42 percent edge over Mamdani). In contrast, Mamdani has built a solid base among voters under 50, leading with 61 percent, as well as among white voters (57 percent to 43 percent) and college-educated voters (58 percent to 42 percent).
Zohran Mamdani has built momentum through social media and grassroots energy. His slick, attention-grabbing videos highlight proposals like free public bus service, government-run grocery stores, and a citywide rent freeze.
As the race tightens, Cuomo has sharpened his criticism of Mamdani, calling him inexperienced and arguing that his proposals are unrealistic without significant tax hikes. Mamdani, however, insists his policies are designed to ease the burden on working-class New Yorkers. Mamdani told The New York Times that affordability is “the most important issue facing New Yorkers right now.”
What People Are Saying
Zohran Mamdani told the New York Times: “There are far too many New Yorkers who do not know if they will be able to call themselves that next year, who do not know if they will be able to afford their rent, or their child care, their groceries, or even their MetroCard.
“This is a city that we want to ensure does not become a museum or a relic of the working-class people who built it, but rather a living, breathing testament to the continuation of that story.”
Andrew Cuomo told the New York Times when asked what the most pressing issue is for New Yorkers: “Lack of management capacity evidenced through all of the above [affordability, public safety, President Trump or something else]. Lack of affordable housing, deterioration of quality of life—they all stem from poor management. Then the existential threat is Trump.”
What Happens Next
Early voting in the June 24 primary is set to begin on Saturday. Mamdani and Cuomo are to participate in a debate Thursday evening.
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