Muslim American Mamdani Leads Tight Race for New York Mayor
Polls show Democratic frontrunner Mamdani ahead of Cuomo, Sliwa as city eyes first Muslim mayor
By Abdullahi Yusuf
New York City may be on the verge of electing its first Muslim mayor, as Democratic Party candidate Zohran Mamdani maintains a commanding lead ahead of Tuesday’s mayoral election.
Mamdani, a 34-year-old naturalized Muslim American and member of the New York State Assembly representing Queens, currently leads the race with 43 percent of voter support, according to the latest Quinnipiac University poll conducted between October 23 and 27.
Trailing him is former governor Andrew Cuomo, running as an independent after losing the Democratic primary to Mamdani, with 33 percent, while Republican contender Curtis Sliwa, 71, sits in third place with 14 percent.
Sliwa, a long-time broadcaster, cat enthusiast, and founder of the Guardian Angels vigilante group, has run a populist campaign focused on crime and urban safety.
The contest has largely centered on New York’s high cost of living, public safety, and the candidates’ response to former U.S. president Donald Trump, who recently threatened to withhold federal funds from the city.
Political observers say Mamdani’s rise represents a major shift in the city’s political landscape.
“Mamdani is an unusual political figure and really captures the spirit of the moment,” said Lincoln Mitchell, a political science professor at Columbia University. “Frankly, a Muslim candidate for mayor of New York is an enormous story.”
The son of Ugandan immigrants, Mamdani has faced Islamophobic rhetoric throughout the campaign, accusing both Republican and Democratic rivals of stoking “anti-Muslim sentiment that has grown so endemic in our city.”
Early voting data released by the New York City Board of Elections showed 275,006 registered Democrats, 46,115 Republicans, and 42,383 unaffiliated voters had cast their ballots in the first five days of early voting, which ended Sunday.
Mamdani’s campaign has also deepened divisions within the Democratic Party, exposing tensions between its progressive and centrist wings.
State governor Kathy Hochul, who appeared briefly at a Mamdani rally on October 26, was met with chants of “tax the rich” from supporters pushing the candidate’s call for a two percent tax on New Yorkers earning above $1 million.
Despite opposition from moderates, Mamdani’s grassroots appeal has been buoyed by young voters and volunteers, with his campaign claiming more than 90,000 active supporters across the city.
“It really comes back to people speaking to other New Yorkers about the city we all love,” Mamdani told The Daily Show during a televised interview.
As torrential rains disrupted final canvassing efforts over the weekend, the three major candidates made last-minute rounds of television appearances to sway undecided voters.
Cuomo, 67, who has sought to rebuild his image after a string of sexual assault allegations forced his resignation as governor, campaigned in Harlem alongside current mayor Eric Adams—himself dogged by corruption claims—who later endorsed his former rival.
With the race heading into its final hours, analysts say a Mamdani victory would mark a watershed moment in American urban politics, positioning him as the first Muslim mayor in the history of the United States’ largest city.
With additional information for Agence France-Presse
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