Most polls show Cuomo ahead, but a new Emerson College poll released Monday showed Mamdani in the lead for the first time, sending shockwaves to many in the New York City Jewish community — and beyond
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New York mayoral candidate and state Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani speaks at a candidate forum hosted by UJA AND JCRC-NY on May 22, 2025.
It’s not an overstatement to suggest that the future direction of the Democratic Party could well be decided tonight in New York City, where a far-left, anti-Israel assemblyman from Queens, Zohran Mamdani, has a shot to win the Democratic nomination against presumed favorite, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
Most public and internal campaign polls show Cuomo ahead, but a new Emerson College poll released Monday showed Mamdani in the lead for the first time, sending shockwaves through the New York City Jewish community — and beyond.
The notion that a candidate who pointedly declined to condemn “globalize the intifada” rhetoric in the city with the largest Jewish population in the world could be running competitively would have been unthinkable not long ago.
For a party desperately seeking to moderate in the aftermath of brutal defeats in 2024, the prospect of having a socialist mayor for the next four years in the largest city in the country would be an undeniable setback, threatening to reverberate beyond Gotham’s borders.
Mamdani’s rise has particularly fueled anxiety among Jewish leaders — as his hostile views toward Israel have hardly dented his standing in the race. Even if he doesn’t win the nomination, Jewish Democrats uncomfortable with his anti-Israel rhetoric and alleged insensitivity to rising antisemitism fear his surging campaign could end up causing them to rethink their long-standing affiliation with the Democratic Party
One prominent New York-based Democratic strategist told JI he expected some Jews to relocate to Florida or Texas if Mamdani becomes mayor.
But don’t expect a clear answer this evening: The primary result is unlikely to be confirmed for at least a week thanks to the city’s relatively new ranked-choice voting system. And regardless of the outcome, both Mamdani and Cuomo could also run in the general election on separate ballot lines, a possibility neither candidate has ruled out and one that portends a high-stakes race to November.
In addition to the mayoral contest, we’ll also be keeping an eye on a few down-ballot primaries for City Council, including former Rep. Anthony Weiner’s comeback campaign for an open-seat in Manhattan and a pair of Brooklyn races where anti-Israel incumbents are facing challengers.