Cuomo closes in on Mamdani in New York City mayor’s race

NEW YORK (NewsNation)  — A week ahead of New York City’s mayoral election, independent candidate and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo is gaining ground against progressive Democrat Zohran Mamdani.

The latest Suffolk University poll, released Oct. 27, showed Cuomo cut Mamandi’s lead by 10 points, after trailing by 20 points in Suffolk’s September poll.

Mamdani leads Cuomo 44% to 34% ahead of the Nov. 4 election, with Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa in third place at 11%. Some 7% of voters surveyed were undecided.

September polls showed Mamdani leading Cuomo 45% to 25%, followed by Sliwa with 9%, and incumbent Mayor Eric Adams at 8%. Adams has since dropped out of the mayoral race and endorsed Cuomo.

Voters 55+ casting majority of early votes

Early voting numbers have shattered records. More than 164,000 voters checked in at polling places over the weekend, according to data from New York City’s Board of Elections.

While voting is currently surging compared to the primary a few months ago, Gen X and baby boomers are driving early turnout.

Polling numbers also showed a slight increase in ballots cast for Cuomo between Day 1 and Day 2 of early voting, while Sliwa’s numbers decreased.

“I continue to be confident in our campaign as well as in our outreach to voters above the age of 55, and also I will not allow myself to become complacent,” Mamdani said.

So far, voters 55 and older make up more than half of the early voting totals.

“In the primary, the turnout was totally different than they thought — much younger, and the younger vote was a much higher percentage, and that skewed all the polls,” Cuomo said.