How would you vote in NYC’s election? Poll shows who Americans favor for mayor
New York City’s mayoral race has captured attention far beyond city limits.
It’s drawn high-profile endorsements, sparked White House commentary and has been framed as a pulse check on the broader political climate.
Given this backdrop, it’s worth asking: How would the country vote, if it could, in the Big Apple’s election on Nov. 4? A newly released YouGov poll offers some answers.
The survey asked respondents which of the three main candidates they would cast their ballot for: Democratic nominee candidate Zohran Mamdani, Republican nominee candidate Curtis Sliwa or independent candidate Andrew Cuomo.
Twenty-three percent said they would back Mamdani, while 16% said they would support Sliwa and 11% said they would vote for Cuomo. Meanwhile, a large plurality of respondents, 50%, said they were not sure, would vote for someone else or would not vote.
When the results were broken down by partisan affiliation, some key differences emerged, providing insight into the voter base of the major parties.
Nearly half of Democrats, 49%, said they would cast their ballot for Mamdani, while just 11% said they would throw their support behind Cuomo. A negligible share opted to back Sliwa.
Meanwhile, among Republicans, 32% expressed support for Sliwa, while 18% favored Cuomo, and an insignificant slice said they liked Mamdani.
Independents were more split. Eighteen percent favored Mamdani, 14% favored Sliwa and 6% backed Cuomo.
The survey, conducted Oct. 21-24, sampled 2,248 U.S. adult citizens. It has a margin of error of 2.8 percentage points.
More on the election
It comes one week before the election, with polls showing Mamdani as the clear front-runner.
Mamdani, a New York state assemblyman and self-identified Democratic socialist, emerged victorious from the city’s Democratic primary this summer, soundly defeating Cuomo. He is running on a platform focused on affordability and progressive reforms.
The Uganda-born politician garnered endorsements from Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul.
His swift rise has led some to wonder if his progressive agenda represents the future direction of the Democratic Party, which faces declining approval ratings.
President Donald Trump, meanwhile, has referred to him as a “communist lunatic.”
Cuomo — the former New York governor who resigned amid a sexual harassment scandal — is running as an independent after losing the Democratic primary. The son of former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo, he has emphasized his record in Albany and honed in on public safety and pragmatic reforms.
He was endorsed by incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, who dropped out of the running after lagging in polls and being indicted on corruption charges, which were later dismissed.
Sliwa, the Republican nominee and founder of the Guardian Angels, has campaigned on bolstering public safety and reducing bureaucracy.
A fixture of local politics — known for his signature red beret, love of cats and 1992 assassination attempt in the back of a taxi — he previously ran for mayor in 2021.
Trump has expressed doubt about Sliwa’s chances of winning and questioned whether his presence in the race might help Mamdani.
This story was originally published October 28, 2025 at 2:10 PM with the headline "How would you vote in NYC’s election? Poll shows who Americans favor for mayor."