Mamdani’s NYC Mayoral Chances Rise as Rival Drops Out

Jim Walden, independent candidate for New York City mayor, on Tuesday dropped out of the race while calling on other hopefuls to get behind the second-most popular choice in an effort to defeat New York State Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani.

Recent polling shows Mamdani leading the crowded pack of candidates, with former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo as his strongest competition.

Newsweek reached out to Mamdani’s campaign via email Tuesday for comment.

Why It Matters

Mamdani’s surge to become the potential face of the Democratic Party in The Big Apple has intensified debate over what the future direction of the party as a whole could look like, as his platform sharply differs from those more centrist and aligned with the establishment.

Mamdani has taken a more aggressive approach than many traditional Democrats—who have historically championed incremental reform and avoided expansive tax policies targeting high-earners.

The mayoral front-runner has proposed increasing taxes on residents earning more than $1 million annually, raising corporate tax rates and implementing a citywide rent freeze. These positions are central to his campaign, which he has framed around affordability, housing justice and public investment in services like free child care, city-owned grocery stores and public transportation.

Mamdani, a Democratic socialist, has also not received critical endorsements from New York Democratic leaders like U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Governor Kathy Hochul and U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

What To Know

Taking to X, Walden, an attorney, announced his decision, saying, “In a choice between values and ambitions, values must win. For months I have been steadfast in my view that, unless there is a one-on-one race in November, a Trojan Horse will take control of City Hall. I cannot spend more public money in the futile hope I am the one called to battle.”

According to The New York Times, Walden said he believes that Mamdani is the “most dangerous” candidate remaining due to his previous statements on defunding the police, Israel and the state assemblyman’s affiliation with the Democratic Socialists of America. Mamdani has since rebuffed his position on police, instead calling for tactical shifts in operation.

“The math is the math,” Walden said in a brief interview, per the Times. “And it doesn’t make sense for me to continue to push to surge, only to take votes away from another candidate or other candidates who are going to need it.”

Walden also said he plans to “encourage all of the candidates remaining in the race to coalesce around the front-runner at the end of the month,” according to the Times.

Recent polling has shown Mamdani as the clear front-runner in the field, but the race gets closer when in a three-way contest with Cuomo and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa.

In an American Pulse Research & Polling survey in August, Mamdani received 36.9 percent of the vote, an uptick of 1.7 percent from a poll in July. The poll surveyed 638 likely voters and has a 3.9 percent margin of error.

Cuomo landed 24.6 percent of the vote, a 4.4 percent drop, while Sliwa received 16.8 percent of the vote, a slight rise of 0.7 percent since the July survey. Mayor Eric Adams garnered 11.4 percent of the vote, a dip of 2.4 percent.

In a recent poll by Tulchin Research, Mamdani would lose the mayoral race in a head-to-head fight with Cuomo, 52 percent to 41 percent.

If the full field remained, including Walden, Mamdani would have received 42 percent compared to Cuomo’s 26 percent, Sliwa’s 17 percent, Adams’ 9 percent and Walden’s 3 percent.

The poll surveyed 1,000 likely New York voters and had a margin of error of 3.1 percent.

A survey by AARP New York and Gotham Polling & Analytics in August also shows Mamdani ahead of other candidates with 41.8 percent of the vote compared to Cuomo’s 23.4 percent, Sliwa’s 16.5 percent and Adams’ 8.8 percent.

In a head-to-head with Cuomo, Mamdani still leads with 42 percent compared to 31 percent. The poll has a 3.2 percent margin of error and surveyed 1,376 likely voters in New York City.

What People Are Saying

Rich Azzopardi, spokesman for Cuomo, to the Times: “Jim Walden put ego and ambition aside for the good of New York City. His decision underscores the existential threat our city faces in Zohran Mamdani.”

Todd Shapiro, spokesperson for Adams, to the Times: “While others may choose to exit the race, Mayor Adams is focused on the future — delivering results and leading this city forward. We are confident millions of New Yorkers will proudly stand with him at the polls.”

Former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio posted to X on Tuesday: “Andrew Cuomo can never believably say he’s going to change the status quo in NYC — because he helped create it. ⁦⁦@ZohranKMamdani won the Democratic primary by bringing a new vision to our city, focused on the affordability we need. Let’s send him to City Hall”

What Happens Next

The general election is scheduled for November 4, and analysts say the outcome may hinge on decisions by independent or third-party candidates—like Cuomo and Adams—to stay in the race or exit.