Adams, Queens candidates lag in new poll

Mayor Eric Adams and other mayoral candidates all lagged well behind former Governor Andrew Cuomo in a new poll of likely Democratic voters in this year’s mayoral race. When asked about the poll, Adams cited stories during his 2021 election that showed other candidates in the lead. Photo by Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office

By Ryan Schwach

Mayor Eric Adams, as well as Queens elected officials running for mayor, are all toward the bottom of a pack in a new 2025 mayoral primary poll that showed former Governor Andrew Cuomo – who has yet to actually declare for the race – has a strong lead.

The new poll, commissioned by the Progressives for Democracy in America, has the former governor leading far ahead of any candidates actually in the race, including Queens Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani, State Senator Jessica Ramos and Adams.

Released on Monday, around 32 percent of the Democratic voters polled said they’d cast a mayoral primary ballot for the Queens-born Cuomo this summer. Former Comptroller Scott Stringer came in a far second with 10 percent and current Comptroller Brad Lander had 8 percent..

Ramos received 7 percent of the support, and Mamdani and Adams each had 6 percent.

Former Bronx Borough President Rubén Díaz Jr., also brought in 7 percent, but has stated he does not plan to run as long as Adams, who he supports, is still in the race.

Candidates Michel Blake and Brooklyn Senator Zellnor Myrie had 2 percent and 1 percent respectively.

Around 18 percent said they were unsure about who they were thinking of voting for.

During his weekly “off topic” press conference on Monday, Adams was asked about the results of the poll, and in response he held up a newspaper headline from February 2021 describing a poll that had Andrew Yang far ahead in the mayoral race Adams ultimately won.

“We don't say Mayor Yang, we say Mayor Adams,” he said. “Polls don't make mayors, people do.”

“I don't focus on polls,” he added.

Mamdani told the Eagle that he felt the poll was more about name recognition.

“I’ve always been confident in our campaign’s ability to go toe-to-toe with Eric Adams, I just didn’t expect to be tied with the incumbent mayor by mid-December,” he said. “Obviously this poll reflects name recognition more than anything else but it’s clear that this race is wide open and New Yorkers are hungry for change.”

Ramos had a positive takeaway from the results, and also said it was anyone’s race.

“I’m thrilled to see I’m already making a great impression on voters this early on in the race,” she said. “It’s wide open, and I’m thankful for the support.”