Copyright Newsweek
A large number of Gen Z voters have voted early in the New York mayoral election, which indicates they may have voted for Zohran Mamdani. According to voting data, 117,042 adults ages 18 to 29 have cast ballots in the election—or 16 percent of the vote share. As this demographic is expected to vote for Mamdani, a progressive candidate, and the proportion of young people who have voted is higher than in previous elections, the data suggests these young people are coming out in droves to cement their support of the Democratic candidate. Newsweek contacted Mamdani's team by email outside of normal business hours to comment on this story. Why It Matters The New York mayoral race has attracted national attention. Whoever wins will have huge influence over America's most populous city and tackle a range of issues from affordability and crime to the city's relationship with President Donald Trump and the National Democratic Party. Mamdani has emerged as the leading candidate among the city's most progressive voters in the mayoral election due to policy proposals that include rent freezes and city-owned grocery stores to combat rising costs. He has been endorsed by New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Democrat, and Independent Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders. What To Know According to turnout data, 117,042 Gen Z voters have voted in the election thus far. This is 130.1 percent more than the proportion of that age group who voted in the entire 2021 election. If polling is to be believed, this might indicate a groundswell in support for Mamdani. An October Quinnipiac University poll found that 62 percent of people aged 18 to 34 years support him. On the first day of early voting, a total of 79,000 votes were recorded, and on the second day, 85,000. These high figures were largely sustained throughout the week, with the exception of day six where only 26,000 turned out to vote. On the eighth day as many 104,000 votes were recorded. It comes as Mamdani is expected to win the election, according to latest polls. Marist University's poll of 792 likely voters between October 24 to 28 had Mamdani up 16 points over his rival, independent candidate Andrew Cuomo, at 48 percent to 32 percent. Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa was at 16 percent. Beacon Research/Shaw & Company Research polled 971 likely voters for Fox News between October 24 to 28 and also gave Mamdani a 16-point lead at 47 percent to Cuomo's 31 percent, with Sliwa behind at 15 percent. William Hall, adjunct professor of political science and business at Webster University in St. Louis, told Newsweek: "Zohran Mamdani's, nontraditional and highly progressive mayoral candidacy, has appeared to have both, reignited and stimulated an unusually large surge of interest and support among many voters in NYC, especially, although not exclusively, among younger and more progressive voters." What People Are Saying Zohran Mamdani wrote in a post on X on Saturday: "It is in our hands, my friends. Three more days." Independent candidate Andrew Cuomo said in an X post on November 1: "The gap is closing fast—we can feel it on the ground everywhere from the Bronx to Staten Island. At this rate, we win the race. Keep going strong." Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa said in an October 31 X post: "Two names, one mask: Mamdani = Cuomo. New Yorkers know this. Vote Curtis Sliwa and end the horror show." President Donald Trump wrote on his Truth Social site in July. “As President of the United States, I’m not going to let this Communist Lunatic destroy New York. Rest assured, I hold all the levers, and have all the cards.” What Happens Next The New York City mayoral election takes place November 4. Incumbent Eric Adams will serve the remainder of his term in office, which ends on December 31.
