Progressive state assemblyman Zohran Mamdani is the early front-runner in New York City’s 2025 mayoral race, according to two independent polls released this month. A Gotham Polling/AARP survey of 1,377 registered voters conducted on Aug. 11 shows Mamdani with 41.8% support, 18 percentage points ahead of former Governor Andrew Cuomo at 23.4%. Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa follows at 16.5%, while incumbent Mayor Eric Adams registers 8.8%. Some 7.9% of voters remain undecided, and attorney Jim Walden draws 1.4%. A separate American Pulse poll of likely voters fielded on Aug. 19 echoes the trend, giving Mamdani 37% to Cuomo’s 25%, with Sliwa at 17% and Adams at 11%. When Adams is excluded, Mamdani’s margin narrows to six points, 38% to 32% over Cuomo, suggesting the race could tighten if the incumbent withdraws. Favorability ratings in the Gotham survey are mixed: Mamdani is net positive by four points, while Cuomo and Sliwa are underwater by 14 and nine points, respectively. The findings indicate that Mamdani’s progressive platform is resonating beyond his Queens base as the field coalesces nearly a year before the party primaries. Cuomo, seeking a political comeback three years after resigning the governorship, remains Mamdani’s closest challenger but must persuade undecided and Adams-leaning voters to close the gap.