The political landscape of New York City could see a surprising twist in the upcoming mayoral election, as a recent poll suggests that rising socialist figure Zohran Mamdani might face a tighter race than anticipated. This scenario hinges on whether Republican contender Curtis Sliwa decides to withdraw from the race.

At 33, Mamdani currently leads his centrist rival, Andrew Cuomo, by a modest margin. Cuomo, a former Democrat now running as an independent, would close the gap to just four percentage points if Sliwa steps aside, according to the latest polling data.

The findings from the Gotham Polling and AARP survey, highlighted by the New York Post, reveal that Mamdani would garner support from 44.6 percent of voters, while Cuomo would earn 40.7 percent if Sliwa were to exit the contest.

With a four percent margin of error in the poll, there’s a plausible chance that ex-New York State Governor Cuomo could edge out Mamdani, should the numbers hold true to their predictions.

As it stands, with Sliwa remaining in the race, the poll forecasts Mamdani leading with 43.2 percent of the vote, followed by Cuomo at 28.9 percent and Sliwa capturing 19.4 percent.

Despite the potential for a closer race, Mamdani remains the frontrunner as the city heads to the polls on November 4, indicating a significant shift in New York City’s political dynamics.

The lawmaker, who currently serves as a state assemblyman for a constituency in Queens, electrified the race thanks to his charismatic personality and vow to tackle cost of living issues.

Among his most eye-catching proposals are plans for free buses across New York City and a state-run supermarket in each borough.

New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, pictured, would have a far tougher battle against independent challenger Andrew Cuomo… but only if their Republican rival Curtis Sliwa dropped out, a new poll claims 

Mamdani has also vowed to issue an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for war crimes the next time he sets foot in the Big Apple.

He wants to increase state income taxes on those earning $1 million or over by one percent annually to pay for his proposals.  

Mamdani has spooked centrists and conservatives.

They fear his policies would turn America’s most populous and economically-important city into a crime-ridden, debt-laden basket case and prompt businesses to move their headquarters to conservative states. 

Mamdani has come under fire for his previous anti-police rhetoric – which included calling the New York Police Department racist. 

He has since apologized for those remarks. 

The Muslim mayoral candidate has also been accused of stoking anti-Semitism by accusing Israel of launching a ‘genocidal war’ in Gaza following Hamas’s October 2023 terror attacks on Israel that killed 1,200. 

One in twelve New Yorkers is Jewish – the largest population of Jews outside Israel – with Mamdani’s stance on Israel spooking many of them.  He denies claims he is anti-Semitic and insists his words are motivated by the plight of the people of Gaza. 

Mamdani hammered Cuomo in the Democratic primary to win the party’s nomination to run for mayor in the deep blue city. 

Cuomo, pictured, is currently forecast to receive around 30 percent of the vote. Mamdani is forecast to take 43 percent

Sliwa, a moderate Republican (pictured) can anticipate winning around one in five votes, according to the poll. He is refusing calls to drop out from centrists fearful of a Mamdani mayorality 

Cuomo served as Governor of New York between 2011 and 2021. He was praised for his handling of the Covid pandemic, but was forced to resign after multiple allegations of sexual harassment. 

Sliwa is a moderate Republican best-known for forming the Guardian Angels,  a civilian group formed in 1977 to try and keep New York City’s subway network safe as violent crime surged. 

Many of the 71 year-old’s policies are popular with New Yorkers, including his vow to crack down on crime and improve public safety, but he is not viewed as a serious contender in the race. 

Last week, Cuomo all but begged Sliwa to drop out of the race to give him a chance to win.

Sliwa has refused to do so, claiming he has been hearted by the response he’s received from people on the street.

The Republican lost his previous attempt to be mayor in 2021 to Eric Adams. 

Adams, a centrist Democrat, dropped out of running for a second term earlier this year after a series of corruption scandals tanked his polls.