Eric Adams’ general election chances for NYC mayor are under water
By Matthew Fischetti
He’s struggling to stay afloat.
Mayor Eric Adams’ support in the general election barely cracks into the double digits, according to a new poll released by political consulting firm Slingshot Strategies.
The poll shows Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani ahead of the pack with 35% of the vote, followed by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in second with 25%, Curtis Sliwa in third with 14% — and Adams with a paltry 11%.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams visits the now-closed Roosevelt Hotel on July 2, 2025.
Stephen Yang
Mayor Eric Adams at a press briefing.
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Eric Adams is running for reelection as an Independent.
While Slingshot founding partner Evan Roth Smith said Mamdani’s 35% is far from a majority and that there’s room for an alternative, he noted it would be difficult for either Cuomo or Adams — who have duked it out in recent weeks over who can better challenge Mamdani — to mount a competitive race in November.
“The problem is the ballot is set. And the strongest Mamdani alternative in this poll is Andrew Cuomo, who just lost to him decisively in the Democratic primary,” he said, referencing Mamdani upsetting the former governor by nearly 125,000 votes.
“And the Mamdani alternative that seems to have the most momentum as a fresh alternative is Eric Adams, who’s polling barely in the double digits and seems to have lost credibility everywhere in the election.”
Zohran Mamdani, Democratic candidate for mayor, leaves a press conference celebrating his primary victory with leaders and members of the city's labor unions on July 2, 2025 in New Yor
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Zohran Mamdani, Democratic candidate for mayor, leaves a press conference celebrating his primary victory with leaders and members of the city’s labor unions on July 2, 2025, in New York.
AFP via Getty Images
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Andrew Cuomo speaking to a reporter.
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Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo lost the mayoral Democratic primary to Zohran Mamdani.
Matthew McDermott
While Cuomo and Adams have gone on the offensive in recent weeks, Republican nominee Sliwa recently told The Post that moderates were pushing Mamdani supporters away rather than winning them over and that he hoped to tap into the anger and hope from Mamdani’s campaign.
Smith highlighted that the group most skeptical of Mamdani is older white homeowners in the outer boroughs but that they wouldn’t be guaranteed votes for either Adams or Cuomo in a general election.
“You have a large number of largely white, largely outer borough homeowners who are not necessarily Democrats, who are skeptical of Mamdani. The problem is getting those voters together behind either Andrew Cuomo or Eric Adams seems to still be a pretty tall order and becomes even more difficult since they’re both in the race,” he said.
Zohran Mamdani at a labor rally.
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Zohran Mamdani is lacking support from some voters.
Paul Martinka for NY Post
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The poll found that Mamdani was lacking support from certain groups like male voters, non-college voters and those age 45 to 64 — with the majority of these groups saying they would reject the 33-year-old Queens assemblyman at the ballot box.
The new poll also found that Hizzoner’s support has cratered among most demographic groups, even among once-reliable supporters, with only 16% of black respondents saying they would back the mayor in a general election.
New York City mayoral candidate and former New York governor Andrew Cuomo (C) speaks during an election party following the primaries at the Carpenters Union in New York City on June 24, 2025.
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New York City mayoral candidate and former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo speaks during an election party following the primaries at the Carpenters Union in New York City on June 24, 2025.
AFP via Getty Images
The study also found that out of all the demographic groups polled, Adams received his highest support from Republicans at 26%.
“There’s simply not enough Republican support for someone who is a sitting Democratic mayor of New York,” Smith said.
“So it’s really, really difficult when someone is polling at 11% and the ballot isn’t changing to see what the path to victory is.”
Adams’ campaign spokesperson Todd Shapiro brushed off the latest poll, saying, “just weeks ago, Andrew Cuomo was ahead in multiple polls and then went on to lose the primary by double digits.”
“The latest Slingshot poll is just another example of how out-of-touch and unreliable political polling has become,” he added.
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