Newsweek: Zohran Mamdani’s chances of winning New York City mayoral election rise to an unprecedented level

Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic candidate for mayor of New York and a member of the state legislature, is the favorite to win the city’s mayoral race, according to the latest polls and political betting markets.

According to a report in Newsweek, there are signs of a rising star in this progressive political movement, who aspires to bring about a major shift in the politics of the largest cities in the United States.

Newsweek continued its report with the results of some opinion polls and some of the betting sites’ predictions regarding the chances of the candidates for mayor of New York.

According to Polymarket, an online betting platform that allows users to predict the outcomes of political and economic events, Mamdani currently has a 92.8% chance of winning as of Monday, October 20.

In contrast, former Governor Andrew Cuomo, who is running as an independent candidate after losing the primary to Mamdani, is in second place with just 5.9% of the vote, while Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, founder of the Guardian Angels organization, has only a 0.7% chance of winning, according to the platform.

Mamdani’s odds have increased significantly compared to last week, standing at 88.3%, reflecting growing confidence in his victory among both observers and bettors, according to Newsweek.

A Fox News poll conducted between October 11 and 14 of 1,003 registered New York voters showed that Mamdani had the support of 52% of those surveyed, far ahead of Cuomo, who received 28%, while Sliwa came in third with 14%.

Previous analyses published in Newsweek indicate that Mamdani leads among Asian (67%), Latino (50%), and African American (48%) voters, while receiving significant support from white voters (37%).

In contrast, Cuomo’s greatest support remains among (60%) Jewish voters.

Mamdani enjoys strong support from the progressive left wing of the Democratic Party, particularly from prominent figures such as Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Independent Senator Bernie Sanders.

His proposed policies include a rent freeze, the creation of municipally owned grocery stores to curb rising food prices, and reforms to social infrastructure and public services.

In an interview with Newsweek, Professor Mark Shanahan, a professor of American politics at the University of Surrey, said: “This race has clearly gone in Mamdani’s favor… New Yorkers are clearly showing they don’t want a repeat of Cuomo’s experience”.

Shanahan: This race is clearly in Mamdani’s favor… New Yorkers are clearly showing they don’t want a repeat of Cuomo’s experience.

Despite his growing popularity, according to Newsweek, Mamdani faces criticism from conservative figures, most notably US President Donald Trump, who described him as a “coming disaster” and warned against electing a “communist” to run a large city that represents a free market economy.

For his part, Curtis Sliwa wrote on X after the election debate: “I was the clear winner tonight… Cuomo failed and should withdraw and leave the stage to me to face Mamdani”.

Mamdani told his supporters at one rally, “For years, you have been the ones fighting for the people of New York, and now it’s our turn to fight for you”.

According to Newsweek, the second and final debate is scheduled for Wednesday, October 22, before voting day on November 4.

Current Mayor Eric Adams will serve until December 31, with the winner officially inaugurated in January 2026.

If he wins, Zohran Mamdani will become the first Muslim mayor in New York City’s history, a historic achievement that reflects profound shifts in the city’s political and demographic makeup, according to Newsweek.