(TJV NEWS) The New York City mayoral race has tightened considerably, with former Governor Andrew Cuomo cutting front-runner Zohran Mamdani’s lead in half, according to a new Suffolk University poll, NY Post pointed out. Mamdani, the Democratic nominee, now leads Cuomo, running as an independent, just 44% to 34% among likely voters.

In Suffolk’s previous survey conducted in September, Mamdani held a 20-point advantage over Cuomo, highlighting how quickly the race has shifted. NY Post noted that Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa currently holds 11% support, splitting the anti-Mamdani vote and making it harder for Cuomo to overtake the Democratic Socialist front-runner.

Cuomo has made notable gains among Hispanic voters, now running roughly even after trailing Mamdani by 30 points in that demographic in September. He also leads independents by 10 points—a dramatic reversal from a month ago, NY Post reported.

David Paleologos, director of Suffolk University’s Political Research Center, emphasized Sliwa’s outsized influence on the race: “There is one person in New York City whose voters could have an outsized impact on the outcome… It’s Curtis Sliwa, whose 11% is blocking Cuomo from winning,” NY Post highlighted. The poll found that 36% of Sliwa’s supporters would back Cuomo as their second choice, compared with only 2% for Mamdani.

With early voting already underway, Cuomo’s momentum among independents and Sliwa voters could prove crucial in challenging Mamdani, who has drawn strong support from progressive and Democratic Socialist constituencies, NY Post pointed out.

The Suffolk University telephone survey of 500 likely general election voters was conducted Thursday through Sunday, with a margin of error of ±4.4 percentage points. Other candidates on the ballot include Conservative Party nominee Irene Estrada and independents Joseph Hernandez and Jim Walden, while Mayor Eric Adams, who dropped his re-election bid, has endorsed Cuomo.