NYC election update: New poll on who's ahead in mayor's race; Lander talks arrest
Brad Lander talks ICE arrest on GDNY
New York City Comptroller and mayoral candidate Brad Lander was arrested by ICE agents at immigration court Tuesday. He joined Good Day New York on Wednesday to discuss.
NEW YORK CITY - Wednesday is officially under a week until the 2025 New York City primary elections – and the race to unseat incumbent Mayor Eric Adams is heating up.
JUMP TO: TRACK ELECTION RESULTS | NYC MAYOR POLLS | WHO'S RUNNING FOR MAYOR?
Here's a look at the top headlines in the race for mayor, plus the latest polls, candidate profiles and voter information:
The latest: New poll shows Cuomo ahead, Mamdani gaining
Andrew Cuomo leads the Democratic primary race for New York City Mayor with 38% of likely voters, according to a newly released Marist poll. Yet the gap with second-place Zohran Mamdani has narrowed from 19 points last month to 11 points now. Mamdani has increased his support to 27%.
Cuomo's support is strongest in the Bronx, Queens and Staten Island, while Mamdani leads among Latino voters and has gained ground in Brooklyn. The race tightens among early voters, with Cuomo slightly ahead of Mamdani.
In ranked choice voting estimates, Cuomo crosses the 50% threshold in the seventh round, securing 55% of the vote, while Mamdani receives 45%. Undecided voters and those not choosing Cuomo or Mamdani could still impact the final outcome, according to the poll.
The latest: Lander on Good Day after ICE arrest
The backstory:
On Wednesday, NYC comptroller and mayoral candidate Brad Lander spoke on Good Day New York following his arrest and release by ICE in a Manhattan immigration court
"Each of the times I had done this before, you just are trying to escort a person out of the building," Lander said on Good Day.
New York City Comptroller and mayoral candidate Brad Lander walks out of a federal building with his wife Meg Barnette and New York Governor Kathy Hochul (L) after he was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents on June 17, 2025 i
Prior to his release, Lander had reportedly faced charges of assaulting an ICE officer, which were later dropped. At a press conference later in the day, Lander stood alongside New York Gov. Kathy Hochul as she announced the charges against him had been dropped.
Following his arrest, Lander said he was doing fine despite losing a button during the incident and expressed relief that he would be sleeping in his own bed that night.
The latest: Early voting
By the numbers:
Meanwhile, early voting shows strong participation across all five boroughs. According to unofficial data from the NYC Board of Elections, as of the close of polls on day four (Tuesday) of early voting, a total of 131,882 voters had checked in. The breakdown by borough is as follows:
- Manhattan: 43,427
- Brooklyn: 47,052
- Queens: 26,383
- The Bronx: 10,497
- Staten Island: 4,523
When is primary Election Day in NYC? Timeline, key dates
- Now through Sunday, June 22: Last day to vote early. Early voting hours may vary.
- Tuesday, June 24: Primary Election Day. Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 17: Andrew Cuomo is seen arriving at a labor union rally in Union Square on June 17, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)
You can check your registration status online HERE.
To find your local poll site, click HERE.
***Note: Voter registration for the 2025 NYC primary elections - in person and online - is now closed.
Who's ahead? Polls in the NYC mayor's race
- Marist Poll: According to a new Marist College Institute for Public Opinion survey, in the ranked-choice voting contest, Cuomo prevails 55% to 45% against Mamdani in the 7th round.
- Emerson College Polling/PIX11/The Hill survey: According to a May survey, Cuomo was at 35%, followed by Mamdani at 22% and Lander at 10%. The survey was conducted May 23-26.
- Marist College: According to a poll conducted in May, Cuomo was at 44%, followed by Mamdani at 22% and Adams at 11%. The survey of 3,383 likely Democratic primary voters was conducted from May 1-8.
- Siena College: An April poll had Cuomo at 34%, followed by Mamdani at 16%. The poll surveyed 811 registered voters, with a specific focus on 556 Democratic voters.
- Betting Odds: According to the overseas online prediction market PredictIt, Cuomo's odds of success stand at 82%, with Mamdani's at 22%.
NYC election news today
- The most surprising endorsements of the 2025 New York City mayoral race (City & State New York)
- $5.4 Million Attack Ad and ICE Arrest Add Drama to N.Y.C. Mayor’s Race (The New York Times)
- New York’s Mayoral Race Is a Ranked-Choice Circus (National Review)
Zohran Mamdani, New York City mayoral candidate, during a mayoral Democratic primary debate in New York, US, on Thursday, June 12, 2025. The mayoral race has become one of the most crowded in recent memory, with at least nine Democrats with significa
How to track election results
What you can do:
Bookmark FOX 5 NY's election results page to track results in real time when polls close on Tuesday, June 24.
When will we have results?
This year, NYC will use ranked choice voting in primary and special elections for mayor, public advocate, comptroller, borough president, and City Council; a system approved by voters in 2019.
NYC ranked choice voting explained
How does the concept work? FOX 5 NY's Robert Moses has the story.
On Election Night, results will only show first-choice votes from early voting, in-person voting and processed absentee ballots, accounting for most of the votes. If a candidate is projected to win 50% of first-choice votes, then the Associated Press will declare a projected winner on Election Night.
- READ MORE: Ranked choice voting explained
If no one gets a majority, the last-place candidate is eliminated, and those votes go to the next choice on each ballot. This process continues until two candidates remain; whoever has the most votes then wins.
If no candidate has 50% of first-choice votes, the Board of Elections will release an unofficial report on the preliminary elimination rounds on Tuesday, July 1. The BOE plans to certify the results on July 15.
List of candidates in 2025 mayoral race
- NYC Mayor Eric Adams, 64, announced that he would run as an independent, forgoing the Democratic primary for mayor.
- Jim Walden, 59, a longtime NYC lawyer, is also running as an independent in the 2025 mayoral race.
- Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, 67, has focused his 2025 mayoral campaign on what he describes as a city in crisis.
- Zohran Mamdani, 33, is a self-declared socialist focused on rent freezes, free bus rides and no-cost childcare.
- Scott Stringer, 64, former NYC comptroller, is focused on transparency and good governance.
- Zellnor Myrie, 38, is a Brooklyn native focused on affordable housing and electoral reform.
- Whitney Tilson, 58, is an investor and lifelong Democrat who has emphasized the need for a city that is safe, affordable and prosperous, criticizing career politicians for failing to address key issues.
- State Sen. Jessica Ramos, 39, announced that she would be running for NYC mayor amid calls for Eric Adams to resign.
- Brad Lander, 55, is the current NYC comptroller and a progressive who advocates for police reform, affordable housing, and better management of the migrant crisis.
- Adrienne Adams, 64, jumped in as a contender to enter the race, directly after former Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
- Michael Blake, 42, a former Bronx assemblyman and vice chair of the DNC, is known for his focus on economic equity and social justice.
Read more about other races, including public advocate, comptroller and City Council, here.
Watch interviews with mayoral candidates here.