New York City voters cast ballots Tuesday in a mayoral primary that pits two vastly different visions for the Democratic Party against each other, with progressive State Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani appearing to overtake former Governor Andrew Cuomo in a race marked by generational divides, ethnic dynamics, and a ranked-choice voting system that could tip the outcome.
The latest Emerson College poll shows Mamdani and Cuomo statistically tied just four weeks after Cuomo held a 12-point lead. A separate poll released Monday projected Mamdani prevailing in the final round of ranked-choice counting, driven by a dominant margin among voters under 50. More than 380,000 early votes had already been cast by Sunday, with voters under 40 accounting for 40% of those ballots, according to the New York Post.
Cuomo, 67, has mounted a comeback effort after resigning in 2021 following sexual harassment allegations. He has relied heavily on establishment endorsements and billionaire-backed super PACs, including $8 million in donations from former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg. Cuomo is also backed by former President Bill Clinton and House Democratic Whip Jim Clyburn.
Mamdani, 33, has run a populist campaign built around freezing rents, providing free citywide bus service, and introducing city-run grocery stores-policies to be funded by $10 billion in new taxes on the wealthy and corporations. His campaign, marked by social media virality and grassroots energy, has attracted the support of Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. He has also earned comparisons to Barack Obama from New York Attorney General Letitia James, who stated: "They mispronounce his name. They say that he is inexperienced. Sort of reminds me of a candidate who ran on change."
While Cuomo has opted for tightly managed appearances at union halls and avoided large-scale rallies, Mamdani has drawn thousands at campaign events and deployed a vast volunteer network for door-to-door outreach. Unlike Cuomo's reliance on paid staff and union operatives, Mamdani's campaign has been fueled by youthful enthusiasm and TikTok-driven messaging targeting Gen Z.
The race also challenges demographic assumptions. Cuomo, a white Italian-American from Queens, holds a significant lead among Black and Hispanic voters, according to the Emerson poll, while Mamdani, who was born in Uganda to a family of Indian descent, is winning white voters and dominates among younger demographics. Among voters aged 18-34, 60% ranked Mamdani first, compared to 10% for Cuomo.
