More than a quarter of New Yorkers say they’ll consider leaving the Big Apple if left-wing socialist Zohran Mamdani wins the mayor’s race next month, according to a new survey.
When asked whether they would consider leaving New York City if Zohran Mamdani were elected mayor, 26.5 percent of respondents said yes, while 68.4 percent said no, and 5.2 percent remained undecided. Mamdani’s average approval rating was 2.996 out of five—below average, but higher than that of former Governor Andrew Cuomo, who scored 2.40, and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, who received 2.72.
The poll by Victory Insights also found that 39 percent of respondents “believe Mamdani is a threat to the future of the city.”
That figure includes nearly one-third of Democrats who said they believe Mamdani’s potential tenure as mayor could create problems for New York City, the New York Post reported, adding that regardless, the race is Mamdani’s to lose at this point.
“It would come as a major surprise if anyone other than Mamdani is elected mayor of New York City,” the polling firm said.
“However, many voters are extremely concerned about that outcome. Thirty-nine percent of voters believe Mamdani is a threat to the future of the city. Cuomo and Sliwa voters are widely considering fleeing the city if he’s elected. New York City seems to be nearing an inflection point, one that could reshape the city for years to come,” the firm added.
The independent survey of 500 likely voters was conducted from October 22 to 24. The poll’s margin of error was not disclosed.
Early voting in New York begins Saturday, with Election Day scheduled for November 4 — just 11 days away.
President Donald Trump has reportedly told close allies that he believes progressive Democrat Zohran Mamdani is unbeatable in the New York City mayor’s race.
According to The Wall Street Journal, a senior White House official said the president and his advisers think the 34-year-old Queens assemblyman is on course to defeat Cuomo and Sliwa.
The report said Trump’s team sees Mamdani’s “commanding lead” in the latest polling as virtually insurmountable.
Trump has also expressed skepticism that Sliwa dropping out would help Cuomo, despite his own son Eric Trump joining figures like Bill Ackman and John Catsimatidis in urging the Republican to step aside.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Tuesday, the president appeared to give only reluctant support to Cuomo.
“It’s really a question of would I rather have a Democrat or a communist?” Trump said. “And I would rather have a Democrat than a communist.”
He added that if Sliwa dropped out, “maybe Cuomo would have a little bit of a chance, but not much.”
Sliwa has rejected calls to end his campaign and warned that anyone offering him money to quit could face criminal referral.
“I’m not budging,” Sliwa said. “Anyone who presents me with a bribe to suspend my campaign will be reported to New York District Attorney Alvin Bragg.”
Trump, a native New Yorker whose company remains headquartered in Manhattan, has privately acknowledged that a Mamdani victory could threaten his business interests.
Mamdani has promised to raise taxes on the wealthy to fund an “affordability agenda” that includes housing and public transit subsidies.
Last month, Trump threatened to cut federal funds to New York City if Mamdani won.
He has since canceled $18 billion in planned infrastructure funding, blaming the ongoing government shutdown.
The three candidates faced off in a final televised debate Wednesday night.
Mamdani called Cuomo “a desperate man, lashing out because he knows that the one thing he’s always cared about – power – is now slipping away from him.”
Cuomo countered by branding Mamdani “too divisive” and questioned his record in the state legislature.
“Zohran is a great actor,” Cuomo said. “He missed his calling. This man never even proposed a bill on housing or education.”