New York City’s heated mayoral race is tightening, and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa could overtake Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani for the win, despite polling showing Mamdani in the lead, Dick Morris, an adviser to President Donald Trump and the author of the new book “The Real Charlie Kirk,” told Newsmax on Saturday.
“Mamdani still might win, but I think Sliwa is going to finish second or first,” Morris told Newsmax’s “The Count.” “I think it’s going to be much closer than anyone thinks.”
Recent polling is showing former Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s campaign “flatlining,” while Sliwa, the GOP candidate, “is coming on very strong.”
And even though the Democrats’ “entire party establishment is falling in line” behind Mamdani, voters could upend expectations in the race.
“Until now, the conventional wisdom had been that Mamdani was going to win, and the only one who could stop him was Cuomo,” he said.
“But the latest polling is showing that Cuomo is flatlining, and the guy who’s gaining is Sliwa,” he added. “The conventional wisdom is that he can’t win because he’s a Republican.”
But, Morris said, “I don’t think Mamdani can win in conventional wisdom because he’s a Muslim, but Sliwa is coming on very strong, and we have to stay tuned to Election Day.”
Meanwhile, Morris argued the Democratic Party has shifted sharply leftward, but even so, Mamdani’s policies are “a new departure.”
“He basically wants to close the prisons so that when somebody is arrested, they are not only not given bail, they’re let go completely free,” Morris said.
“From the beginning of this election, I’ve told you my theory,” he added. “When Democrats lose an election, they always move to the left, not to the center. You’re seeing this in the case of Mamdani.”
Citing betting data that gives Mamdani a 92% chance of victory, Morris said the odds underestimate volatility in the race.
“I wouldn’t take any bets if that’s the purpose of the predictive market,” he said. “This race is very volatile, and it’s going right to the wire.”
And despite their long campaigns and heavy advertising, “neither Cuomo nor Mamdani has moved up a point, and in the meantime Sliwa has doubled his vote share,” Morris said.
Morris also criticized Mamdani’s support for drug decriminalization and pretrial release, calling campaign ads describing those policies “completely accurate” and warning that many city residents might leave if Mamdani wins.
“There’s a poll that said 26% of New York City residents would consider leaving the city if Mamdani wins, and take their tax revenue with them,” he said.
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