Fox News Poll: Unhappy with NYC’s direction, voters favor Mamdani for mayor by a wide margin

New York City voters across all demographic groups are dissatisfied with the direction of the city, and most are looking for significant change in the city’s government. That sentiment has propelled Democrat Zohran Mamdani to the lead in the mayoral race, despite concerns that his proposed tax increases may chase people out of the city.

A new Fox News survey of New York City registered voters finds Mamdani, the Democratic Party’s nominee and self-proclaimed Democratic Socialist, leading the race by 18 percentage points with 45% support. Former New York governor and independent candidate Andrew Cuomo comes in second with 27%, Republican Party nominee Curtis Sliwa gets 11%, and current mayor and independent candidate Eric Adams garners 8%. Among likely voters, the race looks largely the same: 47% Mamdani, 29% Cuomo, 11% Sliwa, and 7% Adams.

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The analysis below focuses on preferences and opinions among registered voters.

Some of Mamdani’s best groups include very liberal voters (79%), those under age 35 (61%), women under 45 (60%), Democrats (57%), and Black and Hispanic voters (49% each).

Cuomo receives strong support from Jewish voters (40%), White voters ages 45+ (37%), voters ages 65 and higher (33%) and moderates (31%).

Republicans prefer Sliwa (41%), while five times as many back Cuomo (32%) as Mamdani (6%). Independents are split: 26% Mamdani, 23% Cuomo, and 14% each to Adams and Sliwa.

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The Big Apple has problems: 62% are dissatisfied with the direction it’s headed, with at least 6 in 10 Democrats (61%), Republicans (70%), and independents (59%) saying they are unhappy. 

That frustration results in three-quarters of voters wanting either substantial (37%), dramatic (20%), or revolutionary change (18%) in how the city’s government is run. Mamdani has a significant lead among both those wanting at least substantial change, and those dissatisfied with the city’s trajectory. His advantage is so considerable he also holds an edge with voters satisfied with how things are going.

Mamdani supporters are more enthusiastic about voting this year (63%) and more certain they will back him (83%) compared to the other candidates. Plus, most describe their support as for him (86%) rather than against his opponents (12%). 

For Cuomo, 32% of his backers are enthusiastic, 65% are certain, and 59% say their vote is for him rather than against his opponents (39%).

Voters say the top three problems facing New York City are crime (25%), followed by the cost of living (20%), and the lack of affordable housing (17%). 

Crime is the number one concern for Republicans (50%) and independents (29%) while for Democrats it’s divided across costs (23%), crime (19%), and housing (19%).

Cuomo is narrowly favored (+12 points) among those who prioritize crime, while Mamdani has wide advantages among those citing the cost of living (+40) and housing (+41).

Concerns about the high cost of living, the need for better city services, and a heavy tax burden produce nuanced policy opinions. For example, 7 in 10 New York City voters think raising taxes will cause a mass exodus of businesses and people that will leave the city more cash strapped. At the same time, another 7 in 10 favor raising taxes on residents with an annual income greater than $1 million. There is widespread agreement on both questions among Democrats, Republicans, and independents. 

There’s a reason Mamdani is campaigning with Bernie Sanders — New Yorkers like the Independent senator from Vermont. Sanders is the most popular individual tested on the survey (61% favorable opinion), followed by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (53%), Mamdani (50%) and Cuomo (45%). Adams (29%), Sliwa (28%), and President Donald Trump (24%) are viewed positively by around one-quarter of voters.

When voters are asked to say in their own words why they like or dislike the candidates, the top positives for Mamdani are liking his policies generally, feeling he cares, change/having new ideas, and his focus on affordability. The main reasons given for disliking him are he’s a communist/socialist, his position on Israel, not liking his policies, lack of experience, and unrealistic policies.

Are Mamdani’s left-leaning economic policies a potential Achilles heel? Probably not. In a city where more than twice as many voters are registered as Democrats than Republicans, capitalism is viewed more favorably than socialism by just 7 points (48% vs. 41%).

Experience is the top reason voters like Cuomo, while sexual harassment allegations are the main reason he is disliked. For Adams, voters also give him the thumbs up for experience, whereas his detractors mainly focus on allegations of corruption. For Sliwa, his main positive trait is that he’s tough on crime (a top issue for voters), but his main negative is that voters don’t think he is a serious candidate.

“Mamdani is the change candidate in a change election,” says Republican pollster Daron Shaw, who helps run the Fox News Poll along with Democrat Chris Anderson. “And, like many voters for change candidates, his supporters are enthusiastic.”

Immigration and the Middle East

Only 3% mention illegal immigration as the city’s number one problem, and when it comes to policy options, most (67%) favor only deporting those charged with crimes but allowing others to stay in the U.S. and apply for citizenship.

On the Middle East, more voters back the Palestinians (46%) than the Israelis (38%). That’s the opposite of results nationally. In line with Mamdani’s criticism of Israel and Cuomo’s support, those backing Mamdani side with the Palestinians by a 49-point margin, while those favoring Cuomo side with the Israelis by 16 points. More Jewish voters prefer Cuomo (40%) than Mamdani (27%) or Adams (12%). 

One more thing…

Twice as many NYC voters say the way Republicans talk about politics is leading to an increase in violence (68%) than feel the same about Democrats (32%). Democrats and Republicans are equally likely to think their counterparts’ words lead to violence, while independents are more likely to cite Republican rhetoric as dangerous.

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Conducted September 18-22, 2025 under the joint direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R), this Fox News Poll includes interviews with a sample of 1,003 New York City registered voters randomly selected from a statewide voter file. Respondents spoke with live interviewers on landlines (150) and cellphones (598) or completed the survey online by following a link received via text message (255). Results based on the registered voter sample have a margin of sampling error of ± 3 percentage points. There was a subsample of 814 likely voters and the margin of sampling error was ±3.5 percentage points. Sampling error for results among subgroups is higher. Results among subgroups are only shown when the sample size is at least N=100. In addition to sampling error, question wording and order can influence results. Sources for developing weight targets include the most recent American Community Survey, Fox News Voter Analysis, and voter file data. Weights are generally applied to age, race, education, and area variables to ensure the demographics of respondents are representative of the registered voter population. Likely voters are identified based on past vote history and self-reported likelihood of voting.