Mamdani Still Leading Mayoral Race, But Voters Disagree On His Policies: Poll

NEW YORK CITY — Democrat Zohran Mamdani remains in the lead in the mayoral race despite a majority of voters not convinced by some of his campaign policies, according to a new poll released on Tuesday.

The Manhattan Institute conducted a five-day survey that concluded on Sunday and found Mamdani leading with 43 percent of likely votes, beating Andrew Cuomo's 28 percent and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa’s 19 percent.

As part of the survey, The Manhattan Institute also asked voters about hypothetical head-to-head match-ups in the race — specifically between Mamdani and Cuomo.

When asked about a two-person race involving the former governor, Mamdani remained in the lead with 44 percent, but the gap narrowed with Cuomo netting 40 percent.

In a race between Sliwa and Mamdani, the state assemblyman saw a lead of 47 percent to Sliwa's 33 percent.

Similarly, a recent Suffolk University poll found that Mamdani's lead was down just to ten points, with 44 percent to Cuomo’s 34 percent. Sliwa netted 11 percent.

The Manhattan Institute survey also highlighted New Yorker's opinions on Mamdanis's campaign proposals.

When asked about Mamdani’s proposal to eliminate bus fares, a majority of NYC voters (58 percent) oppose the idea, agreeing that while making buses free may sound appealing, it would likely make service worse in practice—turning buses into mobile shelters and straining an already unreliable system, according to the survey.

Thirty-three percent of voters support free bus rides, arguing that eliminating fares would make transit more affordable and efficient for working New Yorkers while reducing conflicts between riders and operators.

On fare evasion, a majority of NYC respondents (60 percent) said that allowing fare evasion to go unchecked invites more crime and freeloading, while 30 percent said that fare evasion is mostly harmless and should not be policed aggressively.

New Yorkers were more divided on raising the corporate tax rate than on any other issue. Four in ten (39 percent) New Yorkers oppose raising the corporate tax rate on businesses statewide to pay for new social programs in New York City, while 53% support a corporate tax hike. Across the state, the picture is different: 50 percent oppose the measure, while 41% support it.

Voters can read the full survey here.