In a surprising turn of events, a recent poll suggests that former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo could potentially secure a victory in a ranked-choice Democrat primary election for mayor, leaving incumbent Eric Adams lagging behind.
Despite not having officially entered the race, Cuomo appears to have a significant lead over his competitors, according to the poll conducted by the Progressive Democrats of America.
As reported by One America News, the poll results showed Cuomo as the favored candidate, securing 32% of the vote. His closest rival, former city Comptroller Scott Stringer, trailed significantly with only 10% of the vote. City Comptroller Brad Lander and Queens state Sen. Jessica Ramos followed with 8% and 7% respectively.
In a disappointing revelation for the current administration, incumbent Eric Adams only managed to secure 6% of the vote, tying with Assembly member Zohran Mandani. In a projected ranked-choice scenario, Cuomo would emerge victorious in the fifth round with 51% of the Democrat vote, leaving Stringer, Ramos, and Lander with 16% and 14% respectively.
The poll also revealed that Adams would not make the cut, with a mere 8% of the vote, followed by Mandani with 7%. Brooklyn state Senator Zellnor Myrie and former Bronx state Assemblyman Michael Blake each received 2% of the vote. The poll was conducted between December 16th and December 22nd, and was first reported by Politico.
Adams, who is currently seeking re-election, is grappling with multiple federal corruption charges and plummeting approval ratings. The poll further revealed that 71% of respondents held a negative view of Adams, while only 22% had a positive perception of the embattled mayor. In contrast, 48% of Democrats viewed Cuomo favorably, despite 44% expressing a negative view of the former governor.
In response to the poll results, Adams dismissed their significance during a press briefing on Monday. He drew parallels to a February 2021 poll where businessman Andrew Yang had a significant lead over him in the mayoral race. "They were calling him mayor. They were measuring the drapes," Adams said. "Polls dont make mayors. People do. I dont focus on polls."
Despite his political and legal challenges, Adams expressed resilience, stating, "its so amazing Im still in it. Im still here." However, poll experts have raised questions about the authenticity of the larger Democrat voter base in the city. A source close to the Adams campaign dismissed the poll as "nonsense," claiming it over-sampled liberal voters and included two candidates who would not run against Eric.
The poll results come in the wake of Cuomo's resignation as governor in August 2021, following multiple sexual misconduct allegations, which he denies. Although Cuomo is not currently a candidate for mayor, he is reportedly considering a run. Melissa DeRosa, a former top aide of Cuomos, stated in December that after reviewing the polls, she believes Cuomo would win a ranked-choice primary if he decides to run. "[Cuomo] starts out as the clear front-runner and its not just because of his name ID," DeRosa said.
As the political landscape continues to shift, it remains to be seen how these poll results will impact the upcoming mayoral race.
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