Ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo would prevail over socialist Zohran Mamdani in a ranked-choice voting Democratic primary for mayor, according to a new poll released Tuesday.
Cuomo led Mamdani 34% to 16% when voters were asked about their first choice even as Mamdani chipped away at Cuomo’s dominance in early polling, the Siena College/AARP survey of 556 registered city Democrats found.
Three other candidates in the crowded primary each got 6% support — city Comptroller Brad Lander, his predecessor Scott Stringer and Council Speaker Adrienne Adams.
State Sens. Zellnor Myrie and Jessica Ramos received 4% apiece, according to the survey.
A projection of the ranked-choice voting showed Cuomo ultimately defeating Mamdani, a Queens assemblyman, 64% to 36% in the ninth round, as other candidates were eliminated and their second choice votes were passed on to the remaining two.
Still, some 20% of Democrats said they are still undecided — an X factor that could alter the race, which takes place on June 24 after a week of early voting.
In the ranked choice contest, Cuomo wouldn’t break 50% until the eighth round, after Speaker Adams and Stringer were eliminated, the poll found.
Brad Lander topped out 19% and was eliminated by the ninth round in the simulated ranked-choice vote.
In the end, Cuomo ended up with 64% to 36% for Mamdandi in the final round, according to the poll.
“Former Governor Andrew Cuomo is the clear early leader in the Democratic primary with State Representative Zohran Mamdani a distant second,” Siena College Research Institute director Don Levy said.
“But one of five voters haven’t yet decided on even a first vote in the ranked choice voting system,” the pollster noted.
Cuomo, the ex-governor, won major endorsements this week but also suffered from several stumbles.
His campaign on Tuesday failed to qualify for $2.7 million in public matching funds because of paperwork snafus.
Other blunders include releasing a typo-ridden housing plan and the misspelling of two top union leaders in announcing their endorsements.
Incumbent Mayor Eric Adams recently announced that he would not run in the Democratic primary and instead would seek re-election in a long-shot bid on his own independent ballot line.
The poll of 556 registered Democrats for the primary race was conducted April 7-10 and has a margin of error of +/- 4.9 percentage points.