New AtlasIntel poll shows Andrew Cuomo nearly tied with Zohran Mamdani, whose anti-Israel record fuels voter backlash before Election Day.
New York’s mayoral race has been upended just hours before voters head to the polls. A new AtlasIntel poll, reported by the New York Post, reveals independent candidate Andrew Cuomo has dramatically closed the gap with Democratic frontrunner Zohran Mamdani, whose anti-Israel positions have drawn widespread condemnation across the political spectrum.
The survey, conducted between Friday and Sunday among 2,400 voters, shows Mamdani at 43.9%, Cuomo surging to 39.4%, and Republican Curtis Sliwa trailing at 15.5%. With only 1% undecided, the race has effectively become a two-man showdown.
The poll carries a 2% margin of error and marks a four-point swing toward Cuomo in just 24 hours. Even more striking, in a head-to-head matchup, Cuomo overtakes Mamdani 49.7% to 44.1%—a statistical reversal that has electrified the city’s political landscape.
However, analysts note an irregularity in the poll’s sampling, which leans lighter on Democrats (59%) and heavier on independents (22%) than the city’s actual voter breakdown. Still, the momentum shift appears undeniable.
Mamdani’s decline comes amid intense backlash over his record of anti-Israel rhetoric. The Astoria-based progressive has refused to condemn the Hamas-led massacre of October 7, accused Israel of “war crimes,” and rejected the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism—a global standard embraced by democratic nations.
His vow to “arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu” should he visit New York, citing a dubious ICC “warrant,” sparked outrage among Jewish groups and moderate Democrats alike. Critics have blasted the move as grandstanding rooted in extremist ideology.
On Sunday, Mamdani appeared in a new campaign video speaking Arabic before a PLO flag, while Jeremy Corbyn, Britain’s disgraced Labour leader ousted over antisemitism scandals, hosted a phone bank fundraiser for him—a move described by political observers as “political suicide in New York.”
Cuomo’s late-stage surge appears fueled by Jewish and centrist voters abandoning Mamdani. “New Yorkers have no appetite for hatred dressed as activism,” one campaign insider told the Post. “This is a city that stands with Israel.”
With the election less than a day away, the question is no longer whether Mamdani can win—but whether his radicalism just handed Cuomo an improbable comeback.
