Millions in New York City are casting their votes today in an election that could set the stage for a direct confrontation with President Donald Trump. Zohran Mamdani, an openly socialist candidate, holds a clear lead in the final polls.
According to the latest AtlasIntel poll, Mamdani, 34, is leading the race with 41% of the vote. He is seven points ahead of his main rival, former state governor Andrew Cuomo, who stands at 34%. Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa is at 24%.
While the New York race dominates headlines, crucial off-year gubernatorial elections in Virginia and New Jersey are also being watched closely. These elections are seen as a critical gauge of the US political mood nearly ten months into Trump’s presidency.
Mamdani, who campaigned on a platform of reducing costs for ordinary New Yorkers, would be the city’s first Muslim mayor if elected. However, the race has been defined by a potential clash with the White House. President Trump threatened on social media to withhold federal funds from his “beloved first home” if the “Communist Candidate Zohran Mamdani wins.”
Mamdani fired back, framing Trump’s threat as an endorsement of Cuomo. Political analysts, like Professor Grant Reeher of Syracuse University, predict a Mamdani victory would set up a “showdown” with Trump, leading the president to treat the city “more aggressively.”
