Some New Yorkers know the person they want for mayor. Others are more certain about the person they don’t want.
In a recent New York Times/Siena poll, a third of likely voters said they would “never consider” Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee. A similar percentage said they would “never consider” former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, who is running as an independent after losing the Democratic primary in June.
Support for Mamdani and Cuomo
Based on a New York Times/Siena poll of 1,284 likely voters in New York City from Sept. 2-6.
The unlabeled segment represents the share who did not respond or who said they did not know.
These “never” voters and their concerns can impart some lessons. If Mr. Mamdani, the front-runner in the polls by far, wins in November, he will take office with notable opposition from voters in his own party. And his victory will be in part thanks to “Never Cuomo” voters, whose distaste for Mr. Cuomo may have more to do with the sexual harassment allegations that drove him from the governor’s mansion in 2021 than his moderate policy stances.
If the field shrank to a Mamdani-Cuomo matchup, which Mr. Cuomo and President Trump appear to be pushing for, these voters would be a key part of why the general election could get competitive.
The “Never Mamdani” bloc includes a nontrivial number of Democrats and a large share of Republicans, putting a ceiling on Mr. Mamdani’s potential support.
Party breakdown of the ‘Never Mamdani’ and ‘Never Cuomo’ voters
Based on a New York Times/Siena poll of 1,284 likely voters in New York City from Sept. 2-6.
Includes those who identified with or leaned toward each party.
Thirty-five percent of the “Never Mamdani” voters are Democrats, a remarkably high share to be holding out against their own party’s nominee. In the poll, he is winning just 61 percent of the city’s Democratic voters.
To make a rough comparison: In a Times/Siena poll from October 2024, Kamala Harris won over 90 percent of N.Y.C. Democrats.
The makeup of the “Never Cuomo” bloc — overwhelmingly Democrats — showcases why it could be hard for Mr. Cuomo to beat Mr. Mamdani, even one-on-one.
Democrats and Democratic-leaning voters will make up about 72 percent of the likely N.Y.C. electorate for the coming election, making them a crucial contingent.
For “Never Mamdani” Democrats, Mr. Mamdani’s proposed policies are a bigger concern than the broader issue of his political ideology, although the two are probably linked in many voters’ minds.
Among “Never Cuomo” Democrats, views of Mr. Cuomo’s personality and character dwarfed other concerns. The small but notable share who referred to policy concerns mainly cited his record as governor.
Based on a New York Times/Siena poll of 1,284 likely voters in New York City from Sept. 2-6.
Poll question asked voters for the “main reason” they would never support each candidate. “Democrats” include those who leaned toward the Democratic party. Top 3 categories shown.
Here’s a selection of voters’ responses, in their own words.
‘Never Mamdani’ Democrats who said his policies or ideology were their main concern
Concern about Mamdani
“Lack of experience and promises he cannot keep.”
Woman, 70s, Cuomo supporter
Concern about Mamdani
“His housing policies.”
Woman, 30s, Adams supporter
Concern about Mamdani
“His statement of defunding the N.Y.P.D.”
Man, 60s, Sliwa supporter
Concern about Mamdani
“He does not value the safety of New Yorkers.”
Woman, 30s, Adams supporter
Concern about Mamdani
“He’s a communist and has no experience.”
Man, 40s, Adams supporter
Concern about Mamdani
“I believe he’s an anti-Semite.”
Man, 70s, Adams supporter
Concern about Mamdani
“He’s anti-Israel.”
Woman, 40s, Cuomo supporter
Concern about Mamdani
“He is socialist; I don’t like him.”
Woman, 60s, Cuomo supporter
Concern about Mamdani
“His beliefs will destroy N.Y.C.”
Woman, 70s, Sliwa supporter
Concern about Mamdani
“His ideas are unrealistic. It’s a nice fairy tale but not realistic.”
Man, 70s, Cuomo supporter
Nearly half of the “Never Mamdani” Democrats cited his proposed policies as the primary reason for withholding their support, although many did not cite a specific policy. Rather, they expressed a general concern that he was too inexperienced to lead the city, or that his plans were unachievable.
Those who did have a particular grievance most often brought up his past calls to defund the police, a stance he has tried to distance himself from during the campaign. Mr. Mamdani recently said he would apologize for comments in 2020 calling the New York Police Department racist and homophobic.
Some Democrats called his views socialist or communist. (Mr. Mamdani is a democratic socialist, meaning his beliefs are similar to those of socialists but not exactly the same. He is not a communist.)
Some also said they thought Mr. Mamdani was anitsemitic, echoing accusations lobbed at him by his opponents in the race. Mr. Mamdani, who has denied the charge, has spoken frequently about expanding the city’s efforts to combat antisemitism if elected.
“Never Cuomo” Democrats, by contrast, were far more likely to cite concerns about Mr. Cuomo’s personality and character than any other issue.
‘Never Cuomo’ Democrats who said his personality or character was their main concern
Concern about Cuomo
“He’s a sex pest.”
Woman, 20s, Mamdani supporter
Concern about Cuomo
“He’s a washed-up loser.”
Man, 40s, Mamdani supporter
Concern about Cuomo
“He’s corrupt.”
Woman, 50s, Mamdani supporter
Concern about Cuomo
“He likes power too much.”
Man, 20s, Mamdani supporter
Concern about Cuomo
“He is working with Trump against Mamdani.”
Woman, 20s, Mamdani supporter
Concern about Cuomo
“He’s ridiculous, out of touch and running on 1990s-era politics. He hates the city and thinks of it as a vacation spot.”
Man, 30s, Mamdani supporter
These voters most frequently brought up the sexual harassment allegations against Mr. Cuomo. Although he apologized at the time, he has now taken a more defiant stance toward his accusers and has denied wrongdoing.
A large number also mentioned that Mr. Cuomo was conspiring with President Trump against Mr. Mamdani. Mr. Trump and his advisers have reportedly tried to clear the field for Mr. Cuomo by offering Mayor Eric Adams and Curtis Sliwa, the Republican nominee, positions in the administration in exchange for dropping out. “I think they need to have one candidate,” Mr. Trump said during a recent interview on Fox News. “And it would look to me like Cuomo, frankly, is leading the other two.”
Both men have said they intend to stay in the race, though Mr. Adams has hinted he may be open to dropping out.
The heavily Democratic nature of the “Never Cuomo” bloc suggests he will need to win over many Republicans. But the “Never Cuomo” Republicans and their concerns over his time as governor reveal he faces an uphill battle.
“Never Cuomo” Democrats and Republicans who said his policies were their main concern
Concern about Cuomo
“He was a failed governor.”
Republican woman, 50s, Sliwa supporter
Concern about Cuomo
“Was not a good governor.”
Democratic man, 60s, Mamdani supporter
Concern about Cuomo
“Handled the Covid-19 situation poorly, causing a lot of suffering and deaths.”
Republican woman, 50s, Sliwa supporter
Concern about Cuomo
“His continued mismanagement of the M.T.A. as governor, showing N.Y.C. transportation is not a priority.”
Democratic woman, 30s, Mamdani supporter
Regardless of party, virtually all the “Never Cuomo” voters who cited his policies mentioned his track record as governor, and many mentioned his actions early in the pandemic, including guidance that directed nursing homes to readmit patients who had tested positive.
Reporting by The New York Times revealed how Mr. Cuomo and his top aides had edited a state health department report to conceal how many nursing home residents died in the pandemic.
Some “Never Cuomo” Democrats also took issue with Mr. Cuomo’s handling of the city’s issues as governor, including his control of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
Others said Mr. Cuomo was too closely tied to the city’s wealthy business elites and worried his policies as mayor would not address working-class concerns. That contingent, however, was a relatively small segment in this category compared with those who disliked the job he did as governor.
