Spectrum News: Mayor Eric Adams on Tuesday brushed aside questions about whether he should abandon his reelection bid, after a new New York Times/Siena University poll placed him at a distant fourth place in the mayoral race.
The survey showed Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani leading by a wide margin, with 46% of likely voters saying they planned to vote for him.
Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo was second with 24%, followed by Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa in third with 15%. Adams, meanwhile, trailed with 9%.
Pressed on the results at an unrelated news conference, Adams pointed to past polls that proved inaccurate.
“Listen, people look at the polls and do their forecasts, and I cannot share enough: Seven weeks out from the primary, the Polymarkets (sic) had Cuomo 87% to win,” he said. “Andrew spent $35 million, and he lost to Mamdani by double digits.”
The New York Times/Siena poll also asked participants how they would vote if the race became a one-on-one contest between Cuomo and Mamdani. Those results revealed a much tighter contest, with 48% of likely voters supporting Mamdani and 44% saying they would vote for Cuomo.
Asked why he and Sliwa wouldn’t step aside to keep Mamdani from getting elected, Adams continued to point to the primary results.
“I think what you’re asking is important, because one would look and rationally believe that, OK, let’s just do it this way. There was a one-on-one race. The primary. [Mamdani] beat [Cuomo] by 12%,” he said. “So are we going to do this all over again? We bought into that the last time.”
The mayor argued that energy and visibility would decide the race, not polls.
Speaking to reporters Tuesday, Adams said “no one made an offer to me” when asked about whether there had been discussions with the Trump administration.
In a statement responding to the new poll Tuesday, Mamdani campaign spokesperson Dora Pekec said the city “is not for sale.”
“The backroom scheming from Donald Trump and the billionaire class is backfiring, as New Yorkers see Zohran Mamdani is the only candidate who will fight to make the most expensive city in the country more affordable,” Pekec said. “Our campaign is busy building a movement that puts working people first — mobilizing thousands to get involved in the democratic process and fight for a new kind of politics.”
Asked about the poll at his own press conference Tuesday, Cuomo — like Adams — said he wasn’t concerned.
Adams Brushes Off Poll Showing Huge Lead for Mamdani in Mayor’s Race
