NYC Mayoral Election 2025

New York City’s about to pick its next mayor — and this year’s mayoral election might just be the spiciest in decades. From familiar names like Andrew Cuomo making a comeback bid to young progressives like Zohran Mamdani shaking up the old guard, voters have a real choice on their hands.

Primary Day is June 24, 2025. Early voting was held from June 14–22. On Tuesday, polls open at 6 a.m. and close in the evening.

Key Players:

• Andrew Cuomo – former NY governor. Polls show him leading with ~35–38% of first-choice support. He plays the experienced-moderate card and leans heavily on traditional Democratic voters.
• Zohran Mamdani – 33-year-old progressive Assembly member. Polls show him gaining ground and in one recent survey even overtaking Cuomo. His pitch: rent freeze, free buses, free childcare, supermarket investments—policies that resonate with younger and working-class voters.
• Brad Lander – current City Comptroller and respected progressive, cross-endorsed with Mamdani. Raises issues around homelessness, education, fiscal reforms.
• Adrienne Adams, Scott Stringer, Jessica Ramos, Whitney Tilson – other primary contenders, but trail the top three in polling.

Momentum & Polls

• Emerson Poll (May 28): Cuomo at 35%, Mamdani at 23%, Lander 11%. Ranked-choice simulations put Cuomo at 54%, Mamdani at 46% in a runoff scenario.
• Emerson/Hill (today): Cuomo still leads at ~35%, Mamdani close behind at ~32%.
• Guardian/Bloomberg (today): Report Mamdani has briefly overtaken Cuomo in some democratic primary polling.
• Marist Poll (June 18): Cuomo holding firm around 38% ahead of a narrowing Mamdani surge.
  

Progressive endorsements are moving: Bernie Sanders and AOC back Mamdani, while Jim Clyburn threw Cuomo a lifeline with his endorsement on June 20.

Issues Driving the Race

• Affordability: Mamdani’s rent freeze and transit proposals versus Cuomo’s more traditional fiscal plans.
• Public Safety: Cuomo tussles strongly on law-and-order messaging; Lander and others emphasize social services.
• Immigration & Justice: Lander’s ICE arrest has spotlighted immigration policy; Sliwa (R) advocates for a tough-on-crime approach too.
• Progressive vs. Establishment: The race showcases a classic split—outsider Mamdani vs. experienced Cuomo.
  

What To Watch on June 24

• Poll results—expect a tight race, but ranked-choice could shuffle outcomes in later counts.
• Turnout patterns—younger/working-class neighborhoods may sway heavily toward Mamdani or Lander.
• Endorsement last-minute effects—Clyburn’s, AOC’s, Sanders’, etc., could tip undecideds.

What’s Next?

• Primary winner declared in days post-June 24.
• General election is November 4, likely contested between Democratic winner, Independent incumbent Eric Adams, and Republican Curtis Sliwa.
• Ranked-choice system means whoever wins may need broad second-choice backing to take the nomination.

This mayoral election is one of the most dynamic in recent memory—an energized, diverse field of candidates (12 officially, including Eric Adams as an independent and Curtis Sliwa from the right) . It’s shaping up to be a generational and ideological clash, and whichever candidate can build a coalition across the city’s many worlds will emerge victorious.

More…

• https://emersoncollegepolling.com/new-york-city-mayoral-poll-june/
• https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/23/nyc-mayor-election-latest-poll
• https://people.com/masked-ice-agents-arrest-brad-lander-dramatic-video-11756382
• https://www.overherenewyork.com/andrew-cuomo-under-fire-during-nyc-mayoral-debate/