NYC Mayoral Poll: Making Waves in the Media

Byline: Dustin Olson

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📊 Our new NYC mayoral poll is making waves—featured in the New York Post, POLITICO, Newsweek, Fox News, The Times of Israel, and more.

We hoped this survey would shine a light on how regular New Yorkers are processing the Democratic Primary upset and the non-stop media coverage that followed. I’m pleased to say it has, and reporters are finding it useful to see where the race stands at the moment.

🔍 WHY IT MATTERS

Everyone’s looking for a read on the race. This is the first serious general election poll since the primary shook the field—and it’s already impacting how the race is being fought:

• Mamdani supporters are sharing the topline because it shows him leading.
• Cuomo and Sliwa backers are pushing it just as hard—because it shows Mamdani is vulnerable and they are leading the incumbent mayor.
• Adams world is worried. The poll shows him not just in 4th place overall, but also 4th when voters are asked who’s best to handle affordability, crime, the migrant crisis, and running the city.

🗝️ KEY INSIGHTS DRIVING HEADLINES

We didn’t just measure ballot preference—we tested what’s moving public opinion.

Here are 3 questions from our survey driving the coverage—and the race:

1. Mamdani on BDS and “Globalize the Intifada”

We asked voters directly about Mamdani’s refusal to denounce the antisemitic slogan “Globalize the Intifada” and his support for BDS:

• 52.5% of voters say they are less likely to vote for him.
• But a troubling 30.6% say it makes them more likely.

This one caught the attention of Israeli press, with both the Times of Israel and Jerusalem Post highlighting it. As Times of Israel put it: “Nearly 1/3 of New York voters support Mamdani’s statements on BDS, Intifada.”

While my initial analysis focused on the fact that a majority rejected this controversial position, the Israeli outlets made a worthwhile observation. After seeing what stood out to them, I dug deeper into our heatmap crosstabs and found that among Mamdani’s own supporters, a majority say this position makes them more likely to support him.

That may explain why Mamdani has refused to denounce it. But it’s also why many voters are having second thoughts.

2. Government-run grocery stores?

We tested Mamdani’s proposal to launch government-run grocery stores in NYC—and that some private grocers say they’ll leave if that happens:

• 53.8% say they’re less likely to vote for him because of it.
• But 33.5% say more likely.

It’s a classic case of a policy sounding good in an activist circle—but collapsing under public scrutiny. That’s the story of this poll: Mamdani’s message has landed, but the fine print is raising eyebrows.

3. Too Extreme for NYC?

We also asked voters how they would characterize Mamdani’s politics:

• 45.5% say “Too Extreme.” Just 35.6% say “About Right.”

This finding shows that the wall-to-coverage in the week after the primary has had an impact on New York City general election voters.

📰 MEDIA COVERAGE SNAPSHOT

Here’s a quick look at where the poll has popped up:

• New York Post: Mamdani is NYC mayoral front-runner
• New York Post: Adams demands Columbia release Mamdani’s records
• Times of Israel: Nearly 1/3 back Mamdani’s BDS stance
• Newsweek: Can Mamdani beat Cuomo and Adams?
• Fox News: Sliwa urged to drop out to block Mamdani
• POLITICO Playbook: Wall Street money splits over Cuomo
• amNY: Ackman backs Adams, but Cuomo fires back with our poll
• The Jerusalem Post: Most New Yorkers deterred by Mamdani’s support, but 1 in 3 see it as a boon

🔥 THE BOTTOM LINE

While it’s clear Mamdani can be beaten, it’s also clear Adams isn’t the one who can do it.

Cuomo is already using the poll to argue he’s the only one who can take Mamdani down. And Sliwa’s backers are pointing to the same numbers to push him as the alternative. Meanwhile, Adams is… hoping this blows over.

📥 Get the poll & shape the next one

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