Despite his radical anti-Israel stance and ties to extremist figures, Zohran Mamdani still leads the NYC mayoral race—but growing backlash from Jewish and pro-Israel communities may rewrite the script before Election Day.
In a race shaking New York’s political foundations, Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani—a self-declared socialist known for his anti-Israel rhetoric—still leads the city’s mayoral contest, though his commanding advantage is slipping fast.
A Fox News poll released Thursday shows Mamdani holding 47% support, down sharply from 52% in mid-October, marking a six-point fall as his inflammatory positions draw widespread outrage. Independent Andrew Cuomo has climbed to 31%, while Republican Curtis Sliwa remains steady at 15%.
The poll underscores a tightening race driven by Mamdani’s controversial views on Israel and his open hostility toward Jewish communities. Nearly half of NYC voters (47%) said Israel policy is a decisive factor in their vote—a remarkable statistic in a city with one of the largest Jewish populations outside Israel. Mamdani still leads in all demographic groups, but the poll suggests his numbers could collapse as awareness of his radical record spreads.
Mamdani’s troubles began with his October 8, 2023 statement—issued just one day after Hamas’s barbaric massacre of Israeli civilians—when he chose to criticize Israel rather than condemn Hamas. He has since refused to denounce the slogan “Globalize the Intifada,” a rallying cry for anti-Jewish violence.
More recently, Mamdani abandoned the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism, a move blasted by Jewish organizations as an attempt to legitimize modern antisemitism under the guise of ‘free speech.’
In another shocking vow, the radical Democrat pledged to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he visits New York—invoking a bogus ICC arrest warrant that even the United States rejects, as Washington is not a member of the ICC.
Adding fuel to the controversy, Mamdani campaigned alongside Brooklyn Imam Siraj Wahhaj, a figure named as an unindicted co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, raising alarm over the kind of alliances the Democratic frontrunner is courting.
With Jewish and pro-Israel groups now rallying behind Cuomo’s independent bid and Republicans calling for unity against extremism, the final stretch of the NYC mayoral race is shaping into a showdown between democratic values and radical antisemitism.
As the campaign enters its closing phase, New York’s choice has never been clearer—or more consequential.
