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2025 New York City mayoral election

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2025 New York City mayoral election
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For related races, see 2025 United States local elections.

An election for the mayor of New York City is scheduled for November 4, 2025. Incumbent Eric Adams, who was elected as a Democrat, is seeking re-election to a second term as an independent. He is being challenged by Democratic state assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, Republican activist Curtis Sliwa, and independent former governor Andrew Cuomo.

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Adams initially ran for a second term as a Democrat amid low approval ratings and a federal corruption charges indictment in 2024, but withdrew from the Democratic primary to run as an independent in April, a few months after the charges were dismissed. Cuomo, pursuing a political comeback after he resigned as governor in 2021 amid sexual harassment allegations, emerged as the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination. Mamdani, aided by the support of prominent progressive politicians, defeated Cuomo in the June 24 Democratic primary in a major upset victory.[1] Following his primary loss, Cuomo launched a campaign as an independent. Sliwa, the Republican nominee in the 2021 mayoral election, ran unopposed for his party's nomination.

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Background

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Eric Adams was elected mayor of New York City in the 2021 mayoral election, narrowly winning a Democratic primary election and defeating the Republican nominee, Curtis Sliwa, in the general election in a landslide victory. As mayor, Adams has implemented tough-on-crime policies such as the reintroduction of plain-clothes police officers and increased policing in the city's subway system.[2][3] Adams has also received criticism for his handling of the migrant housing crisis,[4] the investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation into his 2021 campaign,[5] his support for zero-tolerance policies against the homeless,[6] and his perceived closeness to Donald Trump, the Republican president of the United States.[7][8] A December 2023 poll published by Quinnipiac University Polling Institute showed Adams' approval rating at 28% among registered voters, the lowest approval of any mayor since the institution began polling in the city in 1996.[9]

On September 25, 2024, following a series of criminal investigations into his administration, Adams was indicted on federal bribery, fraud, and conspiracy charges.[10] He is the first New York City mayor to be charged with crimes while in office, and has received several calls to resign before the end of his term.[11][12][13] An early October 2024 poll conducted by Marist College found his approval rating to be just 26%, and found that 69% of voters thought he should resign.[14]

On February 10, 2025, the United States Department of Justice's acting U.S. Deputy Attorney General, Emil Bove, ordered federal prosecutors to dismiss all charges against Adams without prejudice pending a review to be conducted following the general election in November.[15][16] Bove asserted that the pending case against Adams might impede his efforts to work with the Trump administration on immigration enforcement and crime.[17] The dismissal of the case "raised questions about the mayor's political independence and ability to lead the city".[18] Four of Adams' deputy mayors tendered their resignations.[17][18][d] On February 17, the New York City Comptroller, Brad Lander (who was also a candidate in the Democratic primary for this election), issued an open letter giving Adams a deadline of February 21 to present a contingency plan to deal with the crisis in his administration.[21][22] The case against Adams was dismissed with prejudice in April 2025.[15]

On April 3, 2025, Adams announced that he would exit the Democratic primary and would instead run in the general election as an independent.[23] Adams' move changed the dynamic of the race.[24] The former governor of New York Andrew Cuomo led most Democratic primary polls following the announcement of his intention to run on March 1;[25] he also successfully petitioned his way onto the general election ballot on the "Fight and Deliver" ballot line.[26]

Adams is the first incumbent mayor to seek re-election without the nomination of either major party since John Lindsay in 1969; Lindsay lost the Republican nomination, but ran and won on the Liberal Party of New York line.[27] Adams has circulated petitions to run on an "EndAntiSemitism" ballot line, as well as a "Safe&Affordable" ballot line.[28] However, the Board of Elections has limited candidates to one ballot line under state election law.[29][30]

In New York City, primary elections are conducted with ranked-choice voting, while the first-past-the-post system is used for general elections.[31]

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Democratic primary

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Main article: 2025 New York City Democratic mayoral primary
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Protester during No Kings protests with sign in support of Zohran Mamdani and other candidates, with text reading "do not rank Cuomo"

Primary elections for the Democratic Party were held on June 24, 2025, with the early voting period beginning on June 14.[32] In New York City, primaries are held using ranked-choice voting, also known as instant-runoff voting.[33]

In early 2025, polls showed former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo leading all other mayoral candidates among Democratic voters.[25] Leading up to the election, polls showed that Cuomo continued to be the narrow frontrunner in the Democratic primary, with Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani in second place;[34][35][36] one June poll found that Mamdani had a narrow lead over Cuomo.[37]

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Opinion polling for the Democratic primary; Mamdani outperformed all polls by wide margins

On June 24, Mamdani defeated Cuomo, City Comptroller Brad Lander, and eight other candidates to become the Democratic nominee for mayor.[38][39] Mamdani's victory was considered a major upset.[40] Mamdani has suggested imposing a flat 2% tax on New Yorkers who earn more than $1 million and a number of housing plans, such as a promise to freeze rents on rent-stabilized units, extensive public housing development and refurbishment, and stricter regulation of landlords, upsetting some in the luxury real estate market.[41] Nevertheless, Cuomo, who also filed to run on the independent "Fight and Deliver Party" line,[42][43] will remain on the general election ballot.[44]

Candidates

Nominee

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Eliminated in primary

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Declined

Results

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Republican primary

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The Republican Party did not hold a primary election.[45] Curtis Sliwa is the Republican nominee for mayor.[34][72][73] Sliwa was the Republican mayoral nominee in 2021, but was defeated by Eric Adams in a landslide.[74]

Candidates

Nominee

More information Candidate, Experience ...

Declined

Endorsements

Curtis Sliwa
Organizations

Third-party and independent candidates

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Working Families Party

The Working Families Party (WFP) often endorses Democratic Party nominees in general elections even if those nominees did not receive WFP support in their respective Democratic primaries. On May 30, 2025, the WFP endorsed Mamdani. The party instructed voters to rank Mamdani first, with Brad Lander at 2, Adrienne Adams at 3, Zellnor Myrie at 4, and Jessica Ramos at 5.[82][46] Ana María Archila, co-director of the New York WFP, indicated that if Andrew Cuomo won the Democratic mayoral primary, the party would most likely nominate someone other than Cuomo for mayor.[24] On June 6, the WFP removed Ramos from its slate after she endorsed Cuomo.[83]

Nominee

Withdrawn

Conservative Party

Nominee

Independents

On April 3, 2025, Eric Adams announced that he would exit the Democratic primary and would instead run in the general election as an independent.[23] Adams has circulated petitions to run on an "EndAntiSemitism" ballot line, as well as a "Safe&Affordable" ballot line.[28] However, the Board of Elections has limited candidates to one ballot line under state election law.[86][30]

Andrew Cuomo formed a minor political party called the "Fight and Deliver Party" in May 2025.[87] After Cuomo conceded the Democratic primary, he confirmed his intention to remain on the ballot on the "Fight and Deliver" ballot line.[88] He would then launch his independent campaign on July 14, 2025.[89]

The "Protect Animals" ballot line was newly created by Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa, with Sliwa as the nominee. Sliwa has made animal rights a centerpiece of his campaign, accusing Animal Care Centers of NYC of mistreating animals and advocating for no-kill shelters.[90]

Attorney and first-time political candidate Jim Walden of Brooklyn Heights is running for mayor as a "business-minded technocrat" with an anti-corruption platform. Walden has sued to challenge a law that bans the use of the words "independent" and "independence" in political party names.[34]

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Other declared candidates

  • Kyle Gutierrez, college student[94]
  • Joseph Hernandez, biotechnology entrepreneur[95]
  • Abbey Laurel-Smith, perennial candidate[96]

Write-in candidates

  • Montell Moseley, former education paraprofessional[97]
  • Karen Stachel, musician[98]
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General election

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After Zohran Mamdani won the Democratic primary, several business executives reportedly began meeting with Eric Adams as they considered backing him in the general election.[99] Jim Walden called for all "non-Mamdani" candidates to "coalesce" around one candidate in the weeks just before the election, in order to prevent vote splitting.[34] Several Republicans in the weeks afterward pressured Curtis Sliwa to drop out in order to shore up support for Adams, but Sliwa repeated on July 7 that he would not.[34][100] Walden later doubled down, pledging to drop out of the race by September if he was not the leading "non-Mamdani" candidate while giving an interview to CBS News on The Point.[101]

On July 1, president Donald Trump voiced support for the incumbent Eric Adams, describing him as a "very good person" and that "I helped him out a little bit"—in reference to his corruption case being dropped by Trump's Department of Justice—while also threatening to arrest and deport Mamdani. During an unrelated press conference, Adams commented that "anyone that is an elected or not should never interfere with federal authorities carrying out their functions".[102] Trump has also suggested the possibility of placing New York under federal control if Mamdani wins.[103]

Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, in response to Trump's support for Adams, has portrayed himself as an anti-Trump Republican, saying that "[Trump] should stay out of [New York Politics]" while running a wholly grassroots campaign with his supporters of the Guardian Angels. Adams, in response, has called on Sliwa to drop out, claiming he has no chance of winning;[104] this was despite Sliwa polling higher than Adams.[105] By early August, Sliwa began reworking his own personal style and his platform, foregoing his iconic red beret, claiming it had become too much of a "defining issue" distracting from his campaign.[106] Additionally, Sliwa started attempting to court unions, portraying himself as pro-worker and anti-fat cat.[106]

Since launching his independent campaign, Andrew Cuomo has attempted to rebrand his platform as populist, stating socialism, specifically the brand Mamdani supports, "has never worked anywhere."[107][108] Cuomo has offered milder versions of some of Mamdani's policy platforms such as opposing free busses, arguing they would cost $900 million, instead proposing a $180 million bus subsidy paid for by an increased property tax.[108] On August 6, it was reported by The New York Times that Cuomo had a phone call with Donald Trump shortly after Trump met with New York Republicans about who they thought was the most likely candidate to potentially beat Mamdani, with a general consensus of a coalescing around a single candidate, instead of a four-way split "non-Mamdani" vote.[109][110] Cuomo's campaign initially issued a statement that the two did not talk about politics on the call, but later backtracked and claimed that the call never happened.[111]

Mamdani's victory in the Democratic primary has galvanized the Democratic Socialists of America to make more of a push to influence the Democratic Party, with the DSA convention in Chicago on August 7 primarily centered around standing and supporting more Mamdani-like candidates.[112] Mamdani also sought to capitalize on Cuomo's call with Trump, calling it a "betrayal" of Democratic voters, and alleging that Cuomo and Trump are conspiring to "rig" the mayoral election against him, especially as Trump routinely calls for Mamdani to be de-naturalized and deported.[113][114]

Campaign controversies

In July 2025 The New York Times wrote that on Mamdani's unsuccessful 2009 application to Columbia University, he checked the race boxes "Asian" and "Black or African American". Mamdani confirmed that, but said his intent was to represent his Indian-Ugandan background given the limited options available, and not to improve his chances of admission.[115] Some of Mamdani's opponents described his action as potentially fraudulent[116][117][118], while his defenders said it was legitimate[119] or trivial.[116][119] Others said variously that it was comparable to Elon Musk claiming to be African American,[120][121][118] illustrative of problems with race-conscious admissions,[120] related to the specific history of South Asians in Africa,[116] and a distraction from mayoral issues.[116]

In August 2025, Cuomo incorrectly claimed that Mamdani lived in a rent-controlled apartment, and that Mamdani's tenancy was responsible for the fact that "somewhere last night in New York City, a single mother and her children slept at a homeless shelter". Mamdani responded that when he first began leasing his rent-stabilized apartment, he earned less than he does now, and he plans to move out in the future.[122][123][124][125][126] The New York Times and ABC wrote that Cuomo's attack reflects a larger debate on who should benefit from government regulation of housing costs, with housing experts and tenant advocates immediately panning Cuomo's proposal to means-test rent-stabilized apartments.[127][128]

Allegations of Islamophobia and racism

Shortly after Mamdani became the presumptive nominee, several Republicans attacked him using Islamophobic, racist, or xenophobic content.[129][130] U.S. Representative Nancy Mace wrote on Twitter, "After 9/11 we said 'Never Forget.' I think we sadly have forgotten."[131] Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene posted an image of the Statue of Liberty wearing a burqa. Others associated with the MAGA movement, including Laura Loomer, Charlie Kirk, and Donald Trump Jr., also spoke of Mamdani in the context of 9/11. On The Brian Lehrer Show, Democratic U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand's assertions of "past positions, particularly references to global jihad" could not be substantiated;[132][133] her office later said she "misspoke", and she apologized to Mamdani.[134] The Council on American–Islamic Relations (CAIR) noted a significant increase in Islamophobic content on Twitter the day after Mamdani became the presumptive nominee.[135]

In a tweet, Republican U.S. Representative Andy Ogles appealed to Attorney General Pam Bondi to denaturalize and deport Mamdani, calling him "little muhammad [sic]" and "antisemitic, socialist, communist".[136] CAIR condemned Ogles's use of "little muhammad" as Islamophobic and racist.[137]

On July 1, Trump suggested without evidence that Mamdani might be in the U.S. illegally, adding that his administration would look into that question.[138] Trump also threatened to arrest Mamdani and withhold funding from New York City if he refused to comply with Trump's mass deportations.[139] Trump also suggested a federal takeover of New York City if Mamdani is elected.[140]

Post-primary endorsements

See also: 2025 New York City Democratic mayoral primary § Endorsements
Eric Adams (I)
U.S. representatives
Statewide officials
State legislators
Local officials
Individuals
Labor unions
Newspapers
Andrew Cuomo (I)
U.S. senators
Political parties
Organizations
Zohran Mamdani (D)
2025 mayoral candidates
U.S. senators
U.S. representatives
Statewide officials
State legislators
Local officials
Individuals
Party officials
Party chapters
Labor unions
Organizations
Curtis Sliwa (R)
U.S. representatives
Statewide officials
State legislators
Local officials
Party officials
Party chapters
Jim Walden (I)
Executive branch officials
Statewide officials
Local officials
Individuals
Declined to endorse
Executive branch officials
U.S. senators
U.S. representatives
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Mayoral endorsements by Assembly district
  Mamdani's Assembly district
  Endorsed Mamdani in primary
  Endorsed Mamdani after primary
  No endorsement

Polling

More information Poll source, Date(s) administered ...
Hypothetical polling
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Andrew Cuomo vs. Curtis Sliwa vs. Eric Adams vs. Jim Walden

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Andrew Cuomo vs. Adrienne Adams as WFP nominee

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Andrew Cuomo vs. Brad Lander as WFP nominee

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Andrew Cuomo vs. Zohran Mamdani as WFP nominee

More information Poll source, Date(s) administered ...

Eric Adams vs. generic Republican

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Results

More information Party, Candidate ...
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See also

Notes

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  1. Adams initially ran in the Democratic primary, but later withdrew, instead opting to run under the third-party ballot lines "End Antisemitism" and "Safe & Affordable". Nevertheless, as of August 2025, he remains a registered Democrat.
  2. Sliwa is also running on a second ballot line called Protect Animals.
  3. Cuomo was defeated in the Democratic primary by Zohran Mamdani, but is continuing to run in the general election under the third-party ballot line "Fight and Deliver". Nevertheless, as of August 2025, he remains a registered Democrat.
  4. The Department of Justice order also sparked a series of resignations within the Department of Justice, where seven prosecutors—including acting U.S. Attorney Danielle Sassoon and Assistant U.S. Attorney Hagan Scotten, who was the lead prosecutor on the case—resigned.[19][20]
  5. Will also appear on the ballot on the Working Families Party line.[46]
  6. Krishna was a placeholder candidate prior to the primary election in order to secure the party's ballot placement.
  7. Estrada is a registered Democrat, but is running on the Conservative Party line after receiving a Wilson Pakula.
  8. Walden has sought to gather signatures for an "Independence Party" ballot line. New York law prohibits using the words "independence" or "independent" on ballot lines. Walden has sued, challenging this ban as unconstitutional.
  9. Previously endorsed Walden before the Democratic primary, then switched to endorsing Cuomo during the primary[92]
  10. Switched to endorsing Cuomo in the Democratic primary, then endorsed Adams[142]
  11. Key:
    A – all adults
    RV – registered voters
    LV – likely voters
    V – unclear
  12. "Another candidate" with 0%
  13. This poll was conducted among a sample of New York City voters as part of a larger poll of voters across New York State
  14. "Someone else" with 2%
  15. This poll does not include partisan affiliation for candidates
  16. This poll was conducted among likely Democratic primary voters

Partisan clients

  1. This poll was sponsored by AARP New York
  2. This poll was sponsored by Adams' campaign
  3. This poll was sponsored by WPIX and The Hill
  4. This poll was sponsored by the Working Families Party
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References

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