Ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo is casting a huge shadow over New York City’s mayor’s race this year without jumping in as a candidate — at least not yet.
A new poll conducted for mayoral candidate Scott Stringer shows that Cuomo would be the clear front-runner to win the Democratic primary if he enters the race, garnering support from 33% of Democratic voters.
Stringer, the former city comptroller, is second with 13%, followed by incumbent Mayor Eric Adams with 11%, Queens state Sen. Jessica Ramos with 10% and current city Comptroller Brad Lander with 6%.
It’s the second poll released in three days showing Cuomo with a significant lead over the field.
Another survey conducted by Democratic activist group Progressive Democrats of America found that Cuomo held a large double-digit lead in a hypothetical horse race and would easily win in a ranked-choice primary.
Cuomo has nearly universal name recognition, perhaps a plus. Between them, he and his father, former Gov. Mario Cuomo, have been on the ballot and in the public eye since the 1970s.
But the other candidates are also well known or have held public office for years.
Adams is the sitting mayor, Stringer has held elected office since 1993, and Lander is the sitting comptroller, one Democratic Party insider noted.
The Stringer campaign declined comment on its poll but did not dispute the findings.
Adams, Cuomo and Stringer have political baggage.
Adams is seeking re-election while fighting federal corruption charges and low approval ratings. He has denied the charges.
Cuomo resigned as governor in August 2021 under the threat of impeachment following a slew of sexual misconduct accusations that he denies.
But even amid his downfall, Cuomo retained considerable backing from key Democratic constituencies, particularly black voters.
During his 2021 campaign for mayor, a woman accused Stringer of inappropriately touching her — derailing his candidacy. He denied the claims and sued the accuser for defamation.
