Trump-to-Mamdani voters put economic frustration in focus before US midterms
A reported crossover among New York voters highlights the appeal of outsider candidates, but experts caution against treating it as a durable political bloc.
An estimated 9 per cent of New York City voters who supported Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election later backed Zohran Mamdani in the 2025 mayoral race, according to exit polling reported by Al Jazeera Global News.
The crossover has drawn attention ahead of the US congressional midterm elections on 3 November 2026, when Republicans will seek to retain control of Congress and Democrats will need a net gain of four Senate seats and three House seats to take control.
Political analysts cited cost-of-living pressures, support for populist outsiders and dissatisfaction with established parties as possible explanations. An Ipsos poll reportedly found that 48 per cent of voters considered the cost of living the most important issue in the election cycle.
The reported trend sits within a broader increase in voters identifying as independent. Gallup found that 45 per cent of US adults described themselves as independent in 2025, although most of those voters leaned towards either the Democrats or Republicans. Experts have cautioned that party-leaning independents often vote consistently with one side.
Polling also suggested that Mamdani voters who did not support Kamala Harris in 2024 were younger, more diverse and less likely to identify as Democratic or liberal. A similar crossover was reported in New Jersey, where some Trump voters backed Democrat Mikie Sherrill in the 2025 governor’s race.
Experts said cross-party voting is not new, citing an estimate that 12 per cent of Bernie Sanders supporters voted for Trump in 2016. The number of highly competitive congressional seats has since been reduced by redistricting in about 10 states, leaving uncertainty over whether Trump-to-Mamdani voters will form a meaningful constituency in 2026.
