PULSE POINTS:
❓What Happened: Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo leads the Democratic primary for New York City mayor, according to a Marist College poll, despite financial and reputational challenges.
👥 Who’s Involved: Andrew Cuomo, Zohran Mamdani, Adrienne Adams, Brad Lander, Eric Adams, and the New York City Campaign Finance Board.
📍 Where & When: New York City; poll and campaign developments reported in 2025.
💬 Key Quote: “I’m in the race to the end. I’m not running on the Democratic line,” said Eric Adams, the incumbent mayor running as an independent.
⚠️ Impact: Cuomo’s campaign struggles with funding issues could make it difficult to maintain his strong polling lead.
IN FULL:
Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has emerged as the frontrunner in the Democratic primary race for New York City mayor, according to a Marist College poll obtained by POLITICO. Cuomo holds a commanding 44 percent lead in the first round of ranked-choice voting, with his closest rival, Zohran Mamdani, trailing at 22 percent. The survey indicates Cuomo’s double-digit advantage persists across all six voting rounds, with a 20-24 percent margin over Mamdani.
Despite his polling strength, Cuomo’s campaign has encountered significant financial hurdles. The New York City Campaign Finance Board (NYCCFB) denied him nearly $3 million in matching funds, citing errors in at least 20 percent of his required financial disclosures. The board further stated that Cuomo’s campaign failed to meet its two-part contribution threshold, which requires donations from at least 1,000 individuals and a total of $250,000 in contributions. Cuomo’s team attributed the denial to a “technical software error.”
Earlier this week, Cuomo’s campaign faced another setback when the NYCCFB withheld $622,000 in matching funds over allegations of coordination with a super PAC.
The crowded primary field features only two other candidates polling in double digits: City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and City Comptroller Brad Lander. According to the Marist poll, Adams was eliminated in the fourth round of voting and Lander in the fifth. Other candidates failed to gain traction, with most eliminated by the third round.
Cuomo’s opponents have criticized him for controversies surrounding his resignation in 2021 and his handling of COVID-19, including allegations related to nursing home deaths. Current Mayor Eric Adams, running for re-election as an independent, has called for Cuomo to address these issues but says they “should not be an automatic disqualification.”
Mayor Adams, who won the 2021 election in the eighth round of ranked-choice voting, confirmed in April that he would not seek the Democratic nomination, stating, “It’s just not realistic to turn around my numbers and to run a good campaign (from) where we are right now.”
Image by Delta News Hub/ Chris Rank for Rank Studios.
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