As New Yorkers head into the final stretch before Election Day (November 4), the 2025 mayoral race has emerged as a closely watched political contest, drawing unprecedented engagement from voters across the city.
Early voting wrapped up on Sunday with more than 735,000 ballots cast, a record figure that surpasses participation levels from the last mayoral election, which propelled Eric Adams into office. The surge signals heightened public interest in a race many observers see as pivotal to the city’s political direction in the years ahead.
On the final day of early voting, roughly 151,000 New Yorkers turned out to cast their ballots, the highest single-day total since the city began early voting. Political observers say the surge points to intensified voter interest as the race tightens between Democratic frontrunner Zohran Mamdani and independent contender Andrew Cuomo, the former governor seeking a political comeback, according to The Express.
As Election Day nears, the race has crystallised around three main contenders — Democrat Zohran Mamdani, independent candidate Andrew Cuomo, and Republican Curtis Sliwa. Recent public polls show Mamdani holding a narrow lead, though analysts note that voter turnout on Tuesday could still play a decisive role in shaping the outcome.
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The New York City Board of Elections confirmed that early voting officially ended at 9 p.m. on Sunday, November 2, marking a turnout more than 20 per cent higher than at the same point in the previous mayoral election cycle.
Democratic contender Zohran Mamdani, a Queens assemblymember known for his progressive platform, continues to lead in most public polls. Recent data suggests he holds a margin of 10 to 20 points over independent candidate Andrew Cuomo, according to The Express. Still, the race could tighten, with a significant number of older voters and independents expected to cast their ballots on Election Day.
Early forecasts even suggest Zohran Mamdani is entering Election Day as the clear frontrunner. An Emerson College Polling/PIX11/The Hill survey conducted between October 25 and 27 shows Mamdani leading with 50% support, followed by Andrew Cuomo at 25% and Curtis Sliwa at 21%, with 4% of voters undecided. A Marist Poll taken during the same period reflected a similar trend, giving Mamdani 48%, Cuomo 32%, and Sliwa 16% with 3% undecided, as per Fox5NY. The latest Quinnipiac University poll, released October 29, also places Mamdani ahead at 46%, with Cuomo at 33% and Sliwa at 15% while 3% were undecided, 2% did not respond.
Adding to the momentum, prediction platform Polymarket currently gives Mamdani a 95% chance of victory, a strong signal of confidence in his lead as New Yorkers prepare to cast their final votes, according to Fox5NY.
Meanwhile, Mamdani added a touch of humour to the campaign trail after former President Donald Trump’s surprising endorsement of Andrew Cuomo. Taking to his social media account on X, he shared an image that read, “Trump Endorses Andrew Cuomo,” and captioned it with a wry message: “Congratulations, Andrew Cuomo. I know how hard you worked for this.”
Trump’s remarks on 60 Minutes added a new twist to the New York mayoral race, drawing widespread attention across the political spectrum. During the interview, the U.S. president said that if forced to pick between a “bad Democrat” and a “communist,” he would side with the “bad Democrat.” Referring to the contest between Andrew Cuomo and Zohran Mamdani, Trump characterised Cuomo as the “lesser of two evils.” He was quick to clarify, however, that he is “not a fan of Cuomo,” a comment that has since sparked debate among both supporters and critics.
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Trump states: “It’s gonna be hard for me as the president to give a lot of money to New York,” Trump said. “Because if you have a communist running New York, all you’re doing is wasting the money you’re sending there. So I don’t know that he’s won, and I’m not a fan of Cuomo one way or another, but if it’s gonna be between a bad Democrat and a communist, I’m gonna pick the bad Democrat all the time, to be honest with you.”
Meet the Candidates:
The 2025 New York mayoral race features three contenders offering starkly different visions for the city’s future. At 34, Zohran Mamdani stands out as the face of a new political generation, a progressive Queens assemblymember whose campaign emphasises affordable housing, policing reform, and climate resilience. If elected, he would make history as New York’s first Muslim and immigrant mayor, and its youngest leader in over a century. His message of equity and inclusion has resonated with younger voters, many of whom turned out early to support him.
Andrew Cuomo, running as an independent after his 2021 resignation as governor, has positioned himself as the steady hand in turbulent times. Drawing support from older moderates and parts of organised labor, Cuomo has called for “steady leadership” as his campaign’s core promise.
Meanwhile, Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, the outspoken radio host and founder of the Guardian Angels, continues to inject energy into the race. Though polling in the single digits, Sliwa’s tough-on-crime rhetoric and street-level activism ensure his presence remains hard to ignore.