Most New Yorkers deterred by Zohran Mamdani’s support for Israel boycott, but 1 in 3 see it as a boon, poll shows
The poll also found that Mamdani would win if the mayoral election were held today.
Actor and activist Cynthia Nixon, third from right, listens to New York State Rep. Zohran Mamdani (D), speak during a news conference outside the White House to announce a hunger strike to demand that President Joe Biden “call for a permanent ceasefire and no military aid to Israel,” on Nov. 27, 2023. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
(JTA) — Half of registered voters in New York City say knowing that Zohran Mamdani supports boycotting Israel and has declined to condemn the phrase “globalize the intifada” makes them less likely to vote for him in November’s mayoral election.
But a third said knowing Mamdani’s positions on the two issues made them more likely to vote for him, according to the poll released Thursday by American Pulse Research and Polling.
The poll, taken in the days after Mamdani’s Democratic primary win on June 24, found that Mamdani would win narrowly if the general election were held today and included Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who came second in the primary, as an independent.
Mamdani’s decisive win has ignited efforts by moderates and conservatives to figure out how to thwart him in November, with varying schools of thought over whether Cuomo should enter the race and risk dividing a voter base he shares with Mayor Eric Adams, who is running as an independent. The majority of respondents to the poll said they have an unfavorable impression of both men, whose previous electoral wins came as Democrats and who have been dogged by scandal.
American Pulse often polls on issues prioritized by conservatives and its lead pollster, Dustin Olson, is a regular guest on Fox News and NewsMax, right-wing TV networks.
“Mamdani has an early lead and a clear message, but deeper scrutiny may erode enthusiasm among general election voters,” Olson said in a statement. “It’s possible some voters already have buyer’s remorse.”
The questions in the New York City poll, which included 568 voters and had a margin of error of 4%, focused on issues that have disquieted Mamdani’s critics. It asked about whether Mamdani’s call for city-run grocery stores — part of his affordability platform — made respondents more or less likely to vote for him. It is also the first to ask voters about Mamdani’s stances on Israel-related issues, which have occupied the headlines since his come-from-behind win.
“According to NPR, Zohran Mamdani backs the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel and also refuses to condemn the phrase ‘globalize the intifada,’ which some interpret as a call to violence against Jews,” the question said before asking, “Does knowing this make you more or less likely to vote for Mamdani?”
About 20% of respondents said knowing his stances made them “much more likely” to vote for him, while another 11% said they were “somewhat more likely” to support him because of the stances. A much larger portion — 42.6% — said the stances made them “much less likely” to support Mamdani. Support for the positions was highest among younger voters ages 18 to 44 — aligning with recent polling on Israel issues unrelated to the mayor’s race — and among men.
