Support for Zohran Mamdani Among NYC LGBT Voters
In New York City, LGBT voters are showing their support for Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani, leading over former governor Andrew Cuomo by a narrow margin.
This group is quite influential in the Democratic primary, potentially comprising 25% of the overall vote, according to a survey from the Bronx-based Honan Strategy Group. The LGBT advocacy organization Destination Tomorrow was involved as well.
When looking at the preferences of these voters, it appears there are primarily two contenders: 25% back Mamdani while 21% favor Cuomo, with other candidates not surpassing 10% in support.
“No one else has destroyed,” said a voter named Bradley Honan, hinting at some dissatisfaction with other candidates.
Interestingly, around 24% of LGBT New Yorkers, which translates to roughly a quarter of all Democrats, remain undecided as early voting for the June 24 primary hasn’t started yet.
Polls indicate that 75% of Democrats identify as heterosexual, while about 20% identify as LGBT or non-straight. There’s also a small number, about 5%, who chose not to specify.
Breaking down the LGBT identities further, 7% identify as gay or lesbian, 4% as bisexual, 3% as pansexual, and 1% as queer, with the remaining identifying as having “another identity.”
City Council Chairman Adrienne Adams has garnered 7% support among LGBT Democrats in the city.
Three other candidates—Mayor Brad Lander, former Secretary Scott Stringer, and Brooklyn Senator Zellner Miley—received around 6% each. Queens Senator Jessica Ramos has also recently backed Cuomo, with both she and former Bronx MP Michael Blake pulling 2% support.
Cuomo previously garnered substantial LGBT support during his tenure as governor, particularly for advocating the Gay Marriage Act in 2011. However, he resigned in 2021 amid sexual misconduct allegations, which he has denied.
Local prominent LGBT political clubs did not support his attempt to return to office. The Stonewall Democrats ranked candidates without favoring Cuomo, placing Lander first, Mamdani second, and Adrienne Adams third.
Similarly, Jim Owls’ Liberal Democrat Club also did not rank Cuomo favorably.
The poll shows a slim margin of four points between Mamdani and Cuomo, close to the poll’s margin of error of 5.87 points, based on responses from 282 LGBT Democrats.
In a ranked-choice vote involving all 1,257 Democrats, Cuomo led with 56% to 44% for Mamdani in later rounds, a pattern that aligns with recent polls.
The survey also revealed concerns within the LGBT community, as many Democratic voters believe the next mayor must actively support LGBT New Yorkers, particularly those from black and brown communities.
Voting for all 1,257 Democrats is scheduled for June 5-9, with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.76 percentage points.
