Overview
- Eric Adams ended his reelection bid on Sept. 28 and will still appear on the ballot, leaving Zohran Mamdani, Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa as the remaining active candidates.
- Polls and experts continue to rate Mamdani as the favorite, with analysts saying even a full shift of Adams supporters to Cuomo would likely fall short and with Sliwa vowing to stay in the race.
- Wealthy backers are rallying to Cuomo, with figures like Ronald Lauder giving $750,000 to a Cuomo‑aligned super PAC and Bill Ackman urging Sliwa to bow out, as Cuomo seeks labor and uniformed‑services support.
- President Donald Trump threatened to withhold federal funds if Mamdani wins; Mamdani rejected the threat on national TV and his campaign says anti‑Trump messaging is resonating with working‑class voters.
- Mamdani has endorsements from Gov. Kathy Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James, but top Democrats such as Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries have not endorsed, as debates over policing, Israel/Palestine and reported LGBTQ health funding continue to shape the race.