Cuomo, Mamdani, Sliwa: What to know ahead of the NYC mayoral election

By CNN staff

(CNN) — New York City voters will choose their next mayor Tuesday, closing out an eventful campaign between Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani, independent candidate Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa.

In the months after Mamdani’s surprise Democratic primary win, the 34-year-old democratic socialist has sought to grow his base and reassure voters wary of his criticisms of Israel’s government and his past support for far-left policies such as defunding the police. His opponents, meanwhile, have revamped their campaigns to try to cut into the front-runner’s support.

Here are seven stories to get you up to speed on Tuesday’s election:

First, Andrew Cuomo’s primary campaign collapsed

Cuomo entered the mayoral race as the frontrunner despite sexual harassment allegations, which he has denied, that forced him to resign from office in 2021. But the former governor relied on name recognition and donor support instead of building out an extensive ground game, leading to his surprise loss in the June Democratic primary to Mamdani.

“Mamdani’s historic expansion of the electorate, his tapping into the hunger for a leftward lurch and fresh voice, defied almost every poll and expert’s expectation,” CNN’s Edward-Isaac Dovere reported. “But all but a few involved with the Cuomo campaign acknowledge, at least privately, how much they did wrong.”

Democratic socialists were emboldened and started talking primary challenges

Mamdani’s surprise win emboldened the democratic socialists in New York City, who warned they were considering primary challenges against five incumbent House Democrats, including Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Jeffries’ team nicknamed the potential challengers “Team Gentrification.”

Mamdani pivoted from anti-police rhetoric

Part of Mamdani’s efforts to broaden his coalition has included reaching out to police officers and stepping away from his past calls to defund the police. The mayoral candidate met with off-duty police officers and held meetings on the proposals in his public safety agenda, which would overhaul the way the city approaches its most vulnerable residents.

The Republican with many cats

New York City hasn’t had a Republican mayor since Michael Bloomberg left office in 2013. But Republicans did not fully rally around their nominee: Sliwa, a radio host, a founder of the Guardian Angels anti-crime patrol group, and a famous fan of fostering cats. Sliwa has campaigned by riding the subway and running on a tough-on-crime platform. He argued that his longtime ties to the city might help him reach voters who are otherwise opposed to Republican candidates. To the end, he refused to withdraw from the race despite pressure from Cuomo and others who wanted to consolidate the anti-Mamdani opposition.

“When they come up to me, they don’t say, ‘Oh, the Republican,’” Sliwa told CNN. “They don’t see me as a politician. They see me as one of them, which is rare.”

The diverse street at the center of the race

Roosevelt Avenue, a diverse street in Queens that is also a hotspot for sex work, became a focal point in the mayoral race and debates over quality of life. Mamdani’s opponents criticized his support for decriminalizing sex work, pointing to it as evidence that he is soft on crime. Cuomo also hoped to use the issue to reach South Asian and Muslim voters. Mamdani has clarified that he doesn’t support legalizing sex work, but that he backs decriminalizing the practice between consenting adults.

“I do not think that we should be prosecuting women who are struggling, who are currently being thrown in jail,” Mamdani said at a mayoral debate.

Many Jewish voters felt they had bad options

For many Jewish New Yorkers, the New York City mayoral election has become emotionally fraught. Some voters who spoke with CNN said they were reluctant to support Mamdani due to his pro-Palestinian activism and criticisms of Israel’s government. Mamdani sought to reach out to Jewish New Yorkers, but the most recent pre-election polls still showed Cuomo drawing around 55% of the Jewish vote.

A different kind of potential first lady

Rama Duwaji, Mamdani’s 28-year-old artist wife, carved her own path ahead of potentially becoming New York City’s next first lady. She was not a high-profile surrogate for the campaign. Instead, her influence was felt behind the scenes and on social media, where she promoted her artwork focused on Middle Eastern women and the plight of Palestinians in Gaza.

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2025 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.