Mamdani seen holding lead over Cuomo in New York City mayoral race

NEW YORK - The decision by New York City Mayor Eric Adams to suspend his sputtering reelection bid is unlikely to slow the upstart candidacy of democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani, political analysts said on Sept 29.

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Mr Mamdani, a 33-year-old Uganda-born state assembly member, has polled well ahead of his main rival, former New York state governor Andrew Cuomo, with five weeks to go before election day, and persistent attacks by US President Donald Trump may serve only to burnish Mr Mamdani’s image with New Yorkers opposed to the President’s policies.

Since he scored a stunning upset in the June primary to become the Democratic Party’s standard bearer in the Nov 4 election, Mr Mamdani’s candidacy has been ona roll, winning endorsements from party holdouts such as former US vice-president Kamala Harris and New York Governor Kathy Hochul, and a steady stream of financial backing from small donors.

Mr Adams confirmed weeks of speculation on Sept 28 by announcing he was suspending his independent bid for a second term. He had decided against seeking the Democratic nomination in June.

His departure creates what is essentially a two-candidate race between Mr Mamdani and Mr Cuomo, a veteran of New York politics attempting a comeback after his 2021 resignation as governor amid sexual harassment allegations. Mr Cuomo is running as an independent after his loss in the June Democratic primary.