Topline
Betting markets Polymarket and Kalshi predicted Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani’s chances of winning the Democratic nomination for New York City mayor jump on Tuesday over former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, as the primary election gets underway.
FILE- This combination photo shows on left, Democratic mayoral candidate Andrew Cuomo speaking … More
Key Facts
His lead over Cuomo came after an Emerson College/WPIX/The Hill survey on Monday found Mamdani catching up to the former governor by 10 points since last month’s poll.
The survey also found that the majority of voters under 50 favor Mamdani while Cuomo leads among those over 60.
Key Background
Both candidates have received influential endorsements from billionaires, prominent Democrats and some of the city’s leading business figures.. Billionaire and former mayor Michael Bloomberg donated $5 million to Cuomo’s mayoral bid and an additional $3.3 million to a super PAC supporting Cuomo. On Sunday, former President Bill Clinton endorsed Cuomo, saying “he knew how to get things done” and would “stand up and protect the people of this city” from President Donald Trump, according to the New York Times. Billionaire hedge fund manager and Trump backer Bill Ackman also donated $250,000 to Cuomo in April. Other Cuomo backers include tens of thousands of dollars from billionaire and Home Depot co-founder Kenneth Langone, DoorDash and Lyft, New York Magazine reports. Earlier this month, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez endorsed Mamdani in an interview with The Times, and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders endorsed Mamdani in a post on X a few weeks later. Mamdani also cross-endorsed New York City Comptroller Brad Lander—third in the polls, according to The Times—who was recently arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in an immigration court building after asking officers for a judicial warrant.
What To Watch For
Despite Cuomo leading most polls in the race, Mamdani has gained traction in the last few weeks, according to poll numbers cited by Newsweek. Both front-runners for the Democratic nomination, the two candidates have been exchanging the lead among online bettors all day Monday—until Mamdani caught a steady advantage on Tuesday.