Is NYC Democrat or Republican? What Most People Get Wrong

Walk into a dive bar in the West Village or a coffee shop in Williamsburg, and the answer feels obvious. You'll see posters for progressive rallies and hear people debating climate policy like it's a local sport. But hop on the Staten Island Ferry or drive through the deep pockets of southern Brooklyn, and the vibe shifts instantly. The blue flags disappear, and you’re suddenly in "Trump Country" within the city limits.

So, is NYC Democrat or Republican? Honestly, it’s a lopsided relationship. If you look at the raw data, New York City is a Democratic powerhouse. As of late 2025, registered Democrats outnumber Republicans by roughly 5 to 1. But that "5 to 1" stat hides a much messier, more interesting reality of a city that's currently pulling in two different directions.

The Raw Numbers: Why Blue Still Rules the Roost

To understand the political DNA here, you have to look at the voter rolls. According to the New York State Board of Elections 2025 data, about 67% of registered voters in NYC are Democrats. Republicans? They sit at a mere 11%. The rest are mostly "unaffiliated" (independents) or belong to smaller parties like the Working Families Party or the Conservative Party.

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Basically, if NYC were a room of 100 people, 67 are Democrats, 11 are Republicans, and 22 are just over the whole partisan thing. This massive gap is why a Republican hasn’t won the Mayor’s office as a Republican since Michael Bloomberg’s first runs (and even he eventually went independent and then Democrat).

But don't let those numbers fool you into thinking the city is a monolith. The 2025 mayoral election was a wild ride that proved the "Democratic" label is broad enough to cover everyone from moderate centrists to democratic socialists.

The 2025 Shift: Zohran Mamdani and the New Guard

Politics in New York isn't about Democrat vs. Republican anymore; it’s often about which kind of Democrat wins. Take the most recent mayoral race. Zohran Mamdani, a 34-year-old democratic socialist, shocked the establishment by defeating former Governor Andrew Cuomo in the primary and then cruising to victory in the general election.

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Mamdani became the first Muslim and South Asian mayor of the city, running on a platform focused heavily on the cost of living and housing. He pulled over a million votes—the first candidate to do that since 1969.

How the Boroughs Split in 2025:

• Manhattan & The Bronx: These remained deep, deep blue. Mamdani dominated here, especially with younger voters and renters.
• Queens: A tale of two cities. Mamdani won the progressive hubs like Astoria, while Cuomo (running as an independent after losing the Democratic primary) took the more moderate, suburban-feeling areas like Bayside and Flushing.
• Brooklyn: The "North-South" divide is real. North Brooklyn (Greenpoint, Bed-Stuy) went for Mamdani. South Brooklyn (Borough Park, Sheepshead Bay) leaned heavily toward Cuomo.
• Staten Island: The lone red island. Even though Mamdani won the city, Staten Island went for Cuomo, who campaigned as a "tough-on-crime" centrist.

The "Red Wave" in the Outer Boroughs?

While the city is structurally Democratic, the Republican Party has been making sneaky-fast gains in places you might not expect. In the 2024 presidential election, Donald Trump actually improved his margin in NYC by about seven percentage points compared to 2020. He pulled over 30% of the citywide vote—a number that would have been unthinkable a decade ago.

You’re seeing this trend in the City Council too. Republicans like Vickie Paladino in Queens and Kristy Marmorato in the Bronx have held onto or flipped seats in areas that used to be safely Democratic. Why? It usually comes down to three things:

1. Public Safety: Concerns about crime have pushed moderate immigrant communities in Queens and Brooklyn toward "law and order" candidates.
2. Affordability: Some voters feel the city's progressive tax and spend policies are pricing them out of their own neighborhoods.
3. The Migrant Crisis: This was a huge "swing" issue in 2024 and 2025, with many outer-borough residents feeling the city government wasn't handling the influx of asylum seekers well.

Understanding the "Three New Yorks"

To really get if NYC is Democrat or Republican, you have to stop looking at it as one city. It’s actually three distinct political zones.

1. The Progressive Core

This is Manhattan and the "brownstone" neighborhoods of Brooklyn. This group is highly educated, leans left on social issues, and is the engine behind the "Democratic Socialist" movement in the city. To them, the Democratic Party is sometimes too conservative.

2. The Moderate Middle

These are the working-class and middle-class neighborhoods in the Bronx, eastern Queens, and central Brooklyn. These voters are registered Democrats, but they are often more socially conservative. They care about jobs, schools, and sanitation. This is the group that Andrew Cuomo and Eric Adams tried to keep in their corner.

3. The Republican Strongholds

Staten Island is the big one, but don't ignore the "Russian" Brooklyn (Brighton Beach) or the "Asian" pockets of southern Queens. These areas often vote Republican because they feel ignored by City Hall's Manhattan-centric policies.

What This Means for You (The Actionable Part)

If you're moving to NYC or trying to understand its politics for business or advocacy, don't just look at the "D" next to a politician's name.

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• Check the Borough: If you're in Manhattan, the "real" election happens in the June Primary, not November. By the time the General Election rolls around, the Democrat has already won.
• Watch the "Unaffiliated" Trend: 1 in 5 New Yorkers are now registered as "independents." They can't vote in primaries, which means the most motivated (and often most extreme) voters are picking the candidates.
• Follow Local Issues: NYC politics is hyper-local. A candidate’s stance on a single bike lane or a new homeless shelter in a specific zip code often matters more than their stance on national issues like healthcare or foreign policy.

The bottom line? NYC is a Democratic city that is currently having an identity crisis. It’s blue on the map, but the shade of that blue varies from "ocean mist" to "midnight navy" depending on which subway stop you get off at.

Practical Next Steps:

1. Verify your registration: If you live here, check your status at the NYC Board of Elections to see if you're eligible for the next primary.
2. Look up your Council Member: Visit the NYC Council website and type in your address. You'll likely find that your local representative is far more influential on your daily life than the Mayor or the President.
3. Monitor the 2026 midterms: Watch how the outer-borough districts in Queens and Brooklyn vote. That’s where the real "tug-of-war" for the soul of the city is happening.