With roughly seven weeks to go in this year’s Democratic mayoral primary, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo continues to lead the field by a wide margin, while Queens Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani is the only other candidate who has gained significant momentum. But will candidates’ expected big spending on TV advertising in the coming weeks be enough to shake things up? Here’s where the 2025 NYC Mayor’s race stands right now.
Cuomo, who resigned in 2021 amid multiple allegations of sexual harassment that he denies, has led the crowded race in a series of public polls since launching his campaign on March 1. He is filling the moderate lane once occupied by incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, who opted out of the Democratic primary and launched an independent bid in the general election after his federal corruption case was dismissed last month.
The former governor has by far gained the most support from institutional pols, such as Brooklyn and Queens Democratic Party Chairs Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn and Gregory Meeks, respectively, and labor unions, including 32BJ SEIU and 1199SEIU. He has raked in over $1.5 million in private donations and is buoyed by millions more raised by a super PAC backing his run, though the city Campaign Finance Board (CFB) denied him a crucial tranche of matching funds last month.
In a Friday interview on Pix11, Cuomo reiterated his central campaign message that he jumped into the race because the city is “in crisis” and he believes he can fix it.
“We’re in a bad place, and I’m a New York City boy, through and through. I love this city,” Cuomo said. “I was worried that we are at a pivot point, and if we don’t get our act together quickly, you’re gonna see this city decline. And I just couldn’t sit by and let that happen.”