A new poll confirms that socialist Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani as leading a fractured four-way New York City mayoral race — but failing to win over a majority of an electorate still deeply divided over the idea of a socialist running America’s largest city.

The poll, conducted by Wick Insights, shows Mamdani holding a strong lead with 39% support against former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa. Cuomo trails with 21%, followed by Sliwa at 18%, while Adams — once the city’s top Democrat — has collapsed to a humiliating 9%.

But the numbers expose serious vulnerabilities beneath Mamdani’s lead. Despite finishing first, he remains a polarizing figure. Just 46% of voters say they would welcome a socialist mayor, while 44% remain opposed, and 10% are unsure. More damningly, a slim majority — 53% — believe his leftist vision is unworkable in the real world.

Mamdani’s favorability rating stands at 43%, identical to his unfavorability score — a sharp warning that while he may be ahead, he’s far from being embraced by the city at large.

In a potential one-on-one showdown with Cuomo, the race tightens dramatically. The former governor edges out Mamdani 42% to 41%, within the poll’s margin of error — and a stark contrast to Mamdani’s dominance over Adams and Sliwa in head-to-head matchups.

“This is a race,” said Cuomo spokesperson Rich Azzopardi, pouncing on the new data. “Governor Cuomo is talking directly to voters about making New York City affordable, safe, and well-run — in sharp contrast to Mamdani’s substance-free slogans and Adams’ trail of mismanagement and alleged corruption.”

Mamdani’s rise has stunned political insiders. He crushed Cuomo in the Democratic primary in June, defying every major poll but one. He pulled off a 56–44 upset — winning more primary votes than any Democrat in a citywide race in over 30 years.

Even so, his failure to consolidate support post-primary underscores a lingering skepticism among New Yorkers — and a potentially volatile general election landscape.

The poll also shows voters deeply disenchanted with the current mayor. Adams’ 9% support, paired with his plummeting favorability, confirms his freefall from political relevance. Once hailed as the law-and-order moderate, Adams is now widely viewed as a liability to his own former allies.

The next three months could be decisive. With both Adams and Sliwa lagging behind, pressure is mounting for candidates to drop out and consolidate the anti-Mamdani vote — a move that could drastically reshape the race and threaten the democratic socialist’s path to power.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)