\n<\/p>\n
Cuomo has received friendlier welcomes at a couple of other mosque visits, but there hasn\u2019t been much indication that his tactics are working with the wider electorate, continuing what has been a dismal campaign year for him. This spring, polls showed Cuomo with a seemingly substantial lead in the Democratic primary, on track to complete a remarkable comeback after resigning in disgrace from the governor\u2019s office some four years earlier. He was lulled into a lethargic effort and made few retail campaign appearances. Mamdani\u2019s late surge clobbered Cuomo by almost 13 points.<\/p>\n
He promised things would be different in the general election, where he is running as an independent. Cuomo did initially beef up his social media presence and in-person schedule. But the live events dwindled through September, and some of his attempts to create viral videos were awkward. \u201cAndrew doesn\u2019t listen to anyone,\u201d a senior ally says. \u201cHe wouldn\u2019t do anything that he didn\u2019t already know how to do.\u201d Instead, he\u2019s worked the phones in an effort to raise money and reel in endorsements from labor unions and mainstream elected officials. \u201cYou\u2019ve got a candidate who has lost his way,\u201d a second longtime Cuomo insider says.<\/p>\n
He did get some good news when, in late September, the incumbent mayor, Eric Adams,<\/strong> dropped out of the field. A Cuomo aide claims the campaign\u2019s internal polling shows that the bulk of Adams\u2019s support will shift to Cuomo\u2014though even that would only add a mere 5%, not enough to close the gap with Mamdani. So one focus now is peeling support away from Curtis Sliwa,<\/strong> the Republican nominee, in hopes that Sliwa will step aside and give Cuomo a head-to-head matchup with Mamdani. The Cuomo aide admits that it amounts to hitting a triple bank shot: \u201cThe pieces have to fall the right way. But is there a path? Yes, there is.\u201d<\/p>\n Before Adams left the race, most polls put Mamdani at around 45% in a four-person field\u2014a surprisingly low number for a Democratic mayoral nominee in a deeply blue city, leading some New York operatives to jokingly refer to Mamdani as \u201cZ 45.\u201d That underwhelming figure suggests a substantial number of potential general election voters still aren\u2019t sold on Mamdani, and it gives Cuomo an opening, especially since an early-September New York Times<\/em> poll<\/a> showed him just four points behind Mamdani, among likely voters, in a one-on-one matchup.<\/p>\n One crucial factor will be whether Mamdani is able to repeat his spring success in turning out a significant number of young voters. \u201cEveryone\u2019s been like, \u2018It doesn\u2019t look like you guys are having as much fun.\u2019 Yeah, this isn\u2019t as much fun,\u201d a top Mamdani strategist says. \u201cThere\u2019s something far more magical about taking on the establishment than trying to coalesce it into your coalition. But I feel more confident than I have ever felt.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n