Hispanic Federation Poll Finds Cost of Living, Safety, and Housing Affordability are Top Priorities for New York City Latino Voters
Poll shows that Latino voters are following the election closely, are motivated to vote, and favor Mamdani, followed by Cuomo and then Sliwa
New York, NY – With less than a month before New York City’s municipal elections, Hispanic Federation is releasing new polling data revealing that Latino voters are highly informed, motivated to vote, and rank the city’s most pressing issues as cost of living, public safety, followed by housing affordability.
The poll, conducted by Lake Research Partners from September 27 to October 1, underscores the critical influence of the Latino electorate in New York City’s upcoming mayoral race. Among the candidates tested, Zohran Mamdani received the highest level of support from Latino voters, followed by Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa. The findings also showed that most Latino voters see Mamdani as better equipped than either Cuomo or Sliwa to handle the major issues facing New York City.
The findings paint a clear picture of a community ready to make its voice heard. Nearly two-thirds (64%) of Latino New Yorkers report following news about the mayoral election at least several times per week, with 32% saying they follow it daily.
“The results of this poll are extremely telling of the everyday issues Latino New Yorkers face. It is not surprising that cost of living and pocketbook issues continue to be the top priorities of Latino voters, as our community continues to struggle with rising housing and food costs. Anyone who aspires to lead New York City must understand and address these priorities as Latinos are an integral part of what makes this city the greatest in the world,” said Frankie Miranda, President and CEO of Hispanic Federation. “Equipped with these findings, HF will continue to provide culturally competent messaging and work with our members and partners across the city to mobilize voters to the polls. Our collective efforts will ensure that Latinos vote and are heard in the upcoming election.”
Latinos are the second largest community and electorate in New York City with Latinos projected to account for nearly 15% of all eligible voters in November 2025. An estimated 3.2 million Latinos call New York City home and 1.7 million are eligible to vote this year. During the 2025 municipal primaries, more than 165,000 Latinos voted – shattering previous turnout records.
Headquartered in New York City, Hispanic Federation has contacted millions of Latino voters in New York City since its founding in 1990. Most recently, Hispanic Federation’s La Voz de Mi Gente campaign worked with 10 subgrantees and partners across the city to engage over 157,000 voters for the 2025 NYC primaries. Our culturally competent approach and partnerships with community-based organizations in every borough yielded great results: Latinos contacted by Hispanic Federation voted at a higher rate (27%) compare with the overall percentage of Latino eligible voters (15%). HF also contacted 32.7% of all Latino voters who participated in the 2025 primaries.
The results of this poll will be used to shape the messaging of Hispanic Federation’s nonpartisan outreach to Latino voters and to support Hispanic Federation’s La Gran Manzana report, a policy blueprint with recommendations from Hispanic Federation member agencies and service providers on how the next Mayor and City Council can improve the lives of nearly 2.5 million Latinos who call New York City home.
Key takeaways from the poll include:
- Latino New Yorkers are paying attention to the mayoral election. Nearly two-thirds (64%) are following news updates related to the 2025 New York City Mayoral election at least a few times per week, with half of that number saying they do so daily (32%).
- Zohran Mamdani leads with 48% support amongst Latino voters in New York City (36% support strongly). Andrew Cuomo is in second with 24% support (15% support strongly) and Curtis Sliwa follows with 14% support (10% support strongly). Thirteen percent are undecided (even after being pushed) and 2% are voting for someone else.
- Of all the proposals made by the various mayoral candidates, “building more affordable housing throughout the city” is the most popular amongst Latino voters (90% total support, 78% strong support). They also strongly support investing in mental health programs and crisis response (71% strong support), making it easier to start and run a business (66% strong support), and expanding gun violence prevention programs (66% strong support).
- Latino voters are highly dissatisfied with the direction they see New York City moving. 62% of respondents said the city is moving in the wrong direction while only 23% answered “in the right direction.”
- NYC Latino voters are concerned about their own financial wellbeing over the next few years. 65% of respondents said they were concerned about their family’s Income, savings, and jobs over the next few years.
Survey Methodology
Lake Research Partners designed and administered this survey via live phone interviews and text to online methodology. The survey reached 600 Latino registered voters in New York City. The survey was conducted September 25 – October 1, 2025. The margin of error of this survey is +/-4.0% and larger for subgroups.
Telephone numbers for the sample were generated from a file of registered voters. The data were weighted slightly by gender, age, region, education level, turnout history, family heritage and partisanship.
Download a PDF of the poll results here.
####
ABOUT HISPANIC FEDERATION:
Hispanic Federation (HF) is a nonprofit membership and advocacy organization, founded in 1990, committed to empowering and advancing the Hispanic community, with a focus on low-income, marginalized, and immigrant Latinos. With programs in 40 states, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia, HF’s focus areas include immigration, economic empowerment, civic engagement, disaster relief, philanthropy, education, health, and the environment. HF also maintains ongoing public education campaigns and meets the organizational development needs of its member agencies through grant-making and capacity-building assistance.
