NYC mayoral election: Candidates, polls, results and what’s at stake

On Tuesday, voters successful the largest metropolis of the United States, New York, volition take a caller politician successful a contention that has stirred statement crossed the state and drawn planetary interest.

Zohran Mamdani, a 34-year-old authorities assembly antiauthoritarian socialist who surprised galore with his June triumph successful the Democratic Party’s primary, is facing erstwhile Governor Andrew Cuomo, present moving arsenic an autarkic aft losing the Democratic nomination. Republican Curtis Sliwa is among the different candidates successful the race.

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Here is what we know:

What’s happening connected Tuesday?

Voters connected some coasts of the US volition formed ballots successful a bid of elections: gubernatorial contests successful New Jersey and Virginia, the New York City mayoral race, and a ballot successful California connected a redistricting measure.

But of these electoral battles, it is the New York mayoral ballot that has grabbed the astir attraction .

Who are the candidates successful NYC?

The 3 starring candidates are Zohran Mamdani, Andrew Cuomo, and Curtis Sliwa.

Zohran Mamdani

The Democratic nominee is moving connected a level focused connected affordability, calling for rent freezes, cosmopolitan childcare, cheaper nationalist transport, and a rise successful the hourly minimum wage to $30. An immigrant, Muslim, and antiauthoritarian socialist, his popularity has surged during the campaign, with astir 370,000 aboriginal ballots already cast, and appealing powerfully to young voters.

Mamdani, whose parents person Indian roots, was calved successful Uganda. If elected, helium volition beryllium the city’s archetypal Muslim mayor, the archetypal to beryllium calved successful Africa, and the archetypal of South Asian descent.

Andrew Cuomo

Cuomo served arsenic New York state’s politician from 2011 to 2021 and resigned aft a authorities enquiry confirmed intersexual harassment allegations by 13 women. He mislaid the Democratic superior to Mamdani (56 percent to 44 percent), but stayed successful the contention arsenic an independent.

Curtis Sliwa

At 71, Sliwa has resisted unit to retreat from the contention amid concerns helium could divided the anti-Mamdani vote. Known for his trademark reddish beret, helium roseate to prominence arsenic the person of the Guardian Angels, a unpaid crime-fighting radical that became celebrated for its patrols of the New York subway system.

Who is starring successful the polls?

The latest RealClearPolitics average shows Democratic nominee Mamdani starring the mayoral contention with 46.1 percent , giving him a 14.3-point borderline implicit Cuomo (31.8 percent ) and a 29.8-point pb implicit Sliwa (16.3 percent ).

US President Donald Trump and businessman Elon Musk backed Cuomo precocious connected Monday. Whether that high-profile, last-minute enactment volition displacement elector sentiment remains uncertain.

What clip bash polls unfastened and adjacent successful New York?

Polling stations crossed the metropolis volition unfastened connected November 4 astatine 6am section clip (11:00 GMT) and voting volition proceed till 9pm (02:00 GMT connected November 5).

Early voting took spot from October 25 to November 2.

When volition we cognize results?

In New York, mayoral races are usually called quickly.

This time, however, with 2 candidates vying for the enactment of the city’s mostly Democratic voters, it whitethorn instrumentality longer to find the outcome.

The 2021 mayoral contention ended rapidly – Democrat Eric Adams was declared the victor soon aft the polls closed.

What are the main issues and what’s astatine stake?

Being the US’s astir divers city, known astir the satellite for its concern and culture, makes picking a caller politician an particularly important occasion.

New York’s predetermination campaigns person mirrored the bigger nationalist debates successful the US, implicit identity, religion, governmental beliefs, and the country’s future.

Some of the cardinal issues include:

Cost of living: The metropolis is facing 1 of its tightest lodging markets successful decades. In 2023 the metropolis had a vacancy complaint of 1.41 percent , which means that lone 14 retired of each 1,000 lodging units were unoccupied; 9.2 percent of each rental lodging was described by metropolis authorities arsenic “overcrowded”. The fig of caller lodging permits issued fell successful 2024 compared with 2023.

This has made lodging outgo and availability a ascendant issue. After a slate of California cities, New York is the costliest municipality hub successful the US to unrecorded in.

“Most of america are moving aggregate jobs, can’t marque rent oregon rents are going up,” Tom Grabher, a metropolis voter, told Al Jazeera.

Law and order: Serious crimes successful the city, including murder, person gone down from their 17-year precocious successful 2023. However, lower-level offences, specified arsenic shoplifting, stay higher than earlier the COVID-19 pandemic, adding to nationalist worries astir information and disorder.

Migration: The metropolis has agelong been a magnet for radical from astir the world, from its historical relation arsenic a gateway for immigrants to the caller influx of asylum seekers that critics accidental has placed caller strains connected the city’s resources.

Israel and Gaza: The ongoing Israel-Gaza struggle and the city’s ample Jewish and Muslim populations person made overseas argumentation a cardinal contented successful this race.

What has Trump said astir the race?

A erstwhile New Yorker, Trump has loomed implicit the mayoral contention for months, threatening to apprehension Mamdani, deport him, and instrumentality power of the metropolis if helium wins.

On Monday, Trump urged the city’s voters connected his Truth Social level to backmost Cuomo, saying they had “no choice” but to ballot for the erstwhile governor.

When the national authorities unopen down successful October, Trump enactment connected clasp astir $18bn successful national funds, though $187m from New York’s information backing has since been restored. Trump has threatened to withhold much national assistance for the metropolis if Mamdani wins.

What different elections are taking place?

Virginia governor

All eyes are connected Virginia, a authorities adjacent to Washington, DC, that has been straight affected by Trump’s spending cuts and the caller authorities shutdown.

Democrat Abigail Spanberger is facing disconnected against Republican Lieutenant-Governor Winsome Earle-Sears.

New Jersey governor

In New Jersey, the governor’s contention has centred connected concerns astir affordability. Although Democrats clasp a elector advantage, Republicans are optimistic that Trump’s rising popularity successful the authorities could pb to a astonishment win. Democratic Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill is up against Republican Jack Ciattarelli , a erstwhile authorities assemblyman.

California

In California, a projected ballot measurement would redraw legislature districts successful a mode that could payment Democrats successful the 2026 midterm elections. Governor Gavin Newsom and authorities lawmakers accidental they introduced the program successful effect to Trump’s earlier propulsion for Texas to reshape its districts to springiness Republicans an vantage successful 5 seats presently held by Democrats. If approved, the measurement would efficaciously destruct 5 Republican-held districts successful California.