NYC democratic socialist candidate Zohran Mamdani is considered a clear favourite by a poll from U.S contract exchange Kalshi to win the Mayoral race after pro-crypto independent candidate Eric Adams dropped out on Sunday.
The poll shows Mamdani has 83% of votes by bettors, marking him as the strongest candidate in the race.
Kalshi is a regulated exchange that tracks odds for various significant events, allowing speculators to trade “yes” or “no” positions on the outcomes of those events.
Eric Adams dropped out with a post on X. He cited financial issues associated with his campaign as the main reason for his decision.
He will continue to serve the remainder of his term until January 1, 2026, after leading an election campaign that was pockmarked with various issues, including a lack of funds, corruption allegations, and other issues associated with running as an independent.
Candidates Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa are still in the race, but they remain far behind in the Kalshi poll with votes of 18% and 2%.
Zohran Mamdani faces flak from Trump
Although Mamdani is a strong candidate for the November elections, U.S. President Donald Trump has said in a Truth Social post that he would withhold federal funding if he were to get elected.
“Self proclaimed New York City Communist, Zohran Mamdani, who is running for Mayor, will prove to be one of the best things to ever happen to our great Republican Party. He is going to have problems with Washington like no Mayor in the history of our once great City,” said the president.
“Remember, he needs the money from me, as President, in order to fulfill all of his FAKE Communist promises. He won’t be getting any of it, so what’s the point of voting for him? This ideology has failed, always, for thousands of years. It will fail again, and that’s guaranteed!”
Mamdani has not made any statement on cryptocurrency, leaving his position on digital assets unclear as of yet. His current list of proposed policies is focused on helping New Yorkers who struggle with issues such as rent, groceries, and schooling.