Cuomo's analogue campaign
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With help from Amira McKee
Andrew Cuomo's campaign was built for the bygone cable TV era. Zohran Mamdani lapped him in a TikTok world.
POLITICO reports today on the inside story of Cuomo's failed mayoral comeback bid, a campaign that fell flat with Democratic voters clamoring for someone who will address their affordability problems in a deeply expensive city.
The former governor launched his bid with a 17-minute video, a sign he was paying little heed to decayed 21st century attention spans with a retro approach.
And he relied on a tried-and-true strategy of raising a ton of cash, flooding the airwaves with ads and leaning into a storied political name.
None of it worked against a generational talent like Mamdani, a 33-year-old democratic socialist with a scant resume who harnessed voters' abiding concerns over high rents.
In contrast to the smiling Mamdani, Cuomo scowled his way through the five boroughs, often in a black Dodge Charger that enabled him to avoid traveling on the creaky mass transit system most New Yorkers use everyday.
Cuomo focused on the past — like touting the renovation of LaGuardia Airport under his watch — in appearances that often felt like an aging rocker playing the hits on a farewell tour.
'This definitely felt like a 2025 fully optimized campaign versus a 1988 campaign,' Democratic strategist Trip Yang said. 'Cuomo looked like he was campaigning in black and white. Andrew Cuomo was never that formidable because this wasn't Andrew Cuomo in his prime.'
Cuomo spokesperson Rich Azzopardi defended the campaign's approach and the support the ex-governor received.
'We are incredibly proud of the campaign we ran and the broad coalition that we built, including nearly every labor union, our elected endorsers, and everyday working class New Yorkers who supported our vision to get the city back on track,' he said.
In the aftermath of his shattering loss, Cuomo's team began assessing and ascribing blame. Five people close to the campaign — granted anonymity to freely discuss what they believe went wrong — pointed to an anemic get-out-the-vote effort, even after data indicated Mamdani was surging with hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers who voted early.
Cuomo's field operation relied heavily on labor unions working alongside an allied super PAC.
He had paid canvassers, a phone banking program and texting operation. But it was no match for Mamdani's motivated army of volunteers who fanned out across the city to knock on doors and persuade new voters.
By the time the ex-governor's team began to discuss a get-out-the-vote operation, it was a month too late, according to one of the five with direct knowledge of the campaign.
'Our turnout model targeted key districts and constituencies and we met those turnout goals — and got more votes than Eric Adams did four years ago,' Azzopardi said. 'However, Mamdani ran a campaign that managed to expand the electorate in such a way that no turnout model or poll was able to capture, while the rest of the field collapsed. As the governor said, the city is in crisis and these are serious times — we'll be looking at the final numbers and weighing our options on next steps.' — Nick Reisman and Sally Goldenberg
HAPPY FRIDAY: Got news? Send it our way: Jeff Coltin, Emily Ngo and Nick Reisman.
WHERE'S KATHY? In Albany and Franklin County appearing on North Country Public Radio and convening with local leaders impacted by federal policies.
WHERE'S ERIC? Public schedule not available as of 10 p.m. Thursday.
QUOTE OF THE DAY: 'I vote in Albany.' — Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, when asked on WNYC about endorsing Mamdani and whether she would support Adams or Cuomo instead.
ABOVE THE FOLD
PIVOT TO THE GENERAL: Mamdani's team knows he's got a fight ahead of him.
His aides and allies are girding for a costly battle in November against opponents bankrolled by a fired-up business class desperate to stop him from taking over the epicenter of world finance.
Mamdani's campaign, as well as outside groups backing him in New York's mayoral election, said they are preparing to drop millions to counter those efforts, while also tapping into an asymmetric strategy to capture voters' attention through social media and a door-knocking volunteer army.
'My gut is that we're going to have to raise a lot more than we did and we're going to have to spend a lot more than we did in the primary,' said Regina Monge, chair of a pro-Mamdani super PAC. 'Corporate special interests and billionaires might want to throw down for Eric Adams. They might want to support Cuomo on his line. I don't know what folks' plans are, but I want to make sure that we're ready.'
Mamdani has more perceived vulnerabilities than recent Democratic mayoral nominees. So one of the biggest tasks in front of him is uniting the fractured party after a divisive primary. He and his team have been working the phones, talking to elected officials and community leaders in New York and around the country — including Jewish leaders who opposed him in the primary.
John Samuelsen, leader of the Transport Workers Union International, believes Mamdani is on the path to winning over more supporters. He said his union of subway and bus drivers still has some concerns about Mamdani when it comes to policing the subways, but he expects even those that backed Cuomo in the primary will shift their support.
'I do think you're going to see the trade unions coalesce around him,' he said.
'They viewed Cuomo as the sure win, like the favorite at the Kentucky Derby,' he added. 'Zohran has got to be the overwhelming favorite to win. And there are pragmatic unions who will enter a political relationship with him now.'
Read more from POLITICO's Holly Otterbein and Jeff Coltin on how Mamdani is prepping for the general — and how the opposition campaign is still forming.
CITY HALL: THE LATEST
DSA-PANSION: The New York City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America keeps expanding, as its standard-bearer Mamdani, the presumptive Democratic nominee for mayor, prepares for the general election.
About 260 new members have joined since Primary Day on Tuesday, a chapter spokesperson told Playbook on Thursday. That's on top of the nearly 3,000 new members the chapter gained over the course of Mamdani's candidacy.
The local DSA says it mobilized about 45,000 volunteers to door-knock for Mamdani this primary. — Emily Ngo
POWER TO THE PEOPLE?: An evangelist for a massive publicly owned renewable energy build-out is poised to lead the nation's largest city — one that's heavily reliant on fossil fuels.
Mamdani focused much of his campaign on affordability issues like providing free buses, freezing rents and creating city-run grocery stores. But he has a history of advocacy on climate issues as well, POLITICO Pro reports.
'I'm running for mayor to make the city more affordable and to take on the existential crisis of our time — climate change,' Mamdani said during a March candidate forum on climate.
One of Mamdani's signature legislative priorities — although he wasn't the prime sponsor of the bill — was pushing for the New York Power Authority to build out new renewable energy generation.
He's one of only two lawmakers who actively participated in Con Edison's last rate case and recently slammed the utility for seeking another bill hike. Mamdani also opposed a new gas plant in his district that was blocked by Gov. Kathy Hochul and sponsored an unsuccessful measure to ban new fossil fuel power plants.
For climate advocates who backed him, the Queens assemblymember's victory is a refreshing antidote to the trend of Democrats de-prioritizing climate investments in favor of near-term affordability concerns.
'Our horizons have opened exponentially — and I'm really excited for the future for the first time, maybe, in my entire life,' said Daniel Goulden, the strategy co-chair of the New York City Democratic Socialists of America's Ecosocialists Working Group. — Marie J. French
More from the city:
— Negotiations on this year's city budget are coming down to the wire — with several sticking points remaining. (Daily News)
— Cuomo's sexual harassment accusers called on state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli to cut off the former governor's taxpayer-fueled legal defense fund. (New York Post)
— Harlem's One45 development got key clearance from the City Council after years of setbacks (THE CITY)
NEW FROM PLANET ALBANY
MAMDANI'S NEW YORK: Sent first to POLITICO Pro subscribers, Mamdani's desire to hike taxes on the richest New Yorkers has a receptive audience in the state Legislature.
Six Democratic state lawmakers, speaking with POLITICO Pro following Mamdani's upset victory, said they would be open to his tax hike platform.
Their support is key in a statehouse where mayoral proposals often go to die. Any income tax hike impacting New York City residents must be given approval in Albany, where Democrats control both legislative chambers.
'This is a message from a candidate proposing policies that people want,' said state Sen. Gustavo Rivera. 'That's not radical, it's not crazy. One of them is making sure we can afford this, is making sure we tax the wealthy a little bit more.'
Moderate lawmakers from outside the city, including Hudson Valley state Sen. James Skoufis, were open to a tax hike.
'I'm perfectly comfortable with modest, targeted increases on millionaire's personal income tax rates so long as some of the revenue is dedicated to relief for middle- and working-class New Yorkers,' he said.
Support from state lawmakers for a tax hike on the wealthiest earners will add ballast to Mamdani's push if he becomes New York City mayor, offering a counterweight to Gov. Kathy Hochul's opposition, which she reiterated Thursday. The governor and Mamdani, though, have a mutual interest in driving down the cost of living.
'I have been finding ways to reduce the cost of living in New York,' she said, ticking off support for more child care, housing and education services. — Nick Reisman
More from Albany:
— New York lawmakers say they are playing 'wac-a-mole' with so-called forever chemicals. (Times Union)
— Assemblymember Jessica González-Rojas is considering a run for state Sen. Jessica Ramos' seat. (City & State)
— Hochul sidestepped political questions raised by Mamdani becoming the likely mayoral nominee. (Gothamist)
KEEPING UP WITH THE DELEGATION
DEFENDING MAMDANI: Mamdani faced an ugly call Thursday for his denaturalization and deportation from Tennessee Republican Rep. Andy Ogles, who wrote to Attorney General Pam Bondi and disparaged the presumptive mayoral nominee as 'little muhammad.'
But among Mamdani's defenders was one of his greatest critics in New York's Democratic House delegation: Rep. Ritchie Torres.
'It is no secret that I have profound disagreements with Zohran Mamdani,' wrote the Bronx Democrat. 'But every Democrat — and every decent person — should speak out with moral clarity against the despicable Islamophobic attacks that have been directed at him.'
Torres, who endorsed Cuomo, is one of Israel's fiercest defenders, while Mamdani is one of its harshest critics.
Mamdani, who was born in Uganda to Indian parents, is Muslim and a naturalized citizen. He faced a call for his deportation earlier in the primary from Republican City Council Member Vickie Paladino.
'This is what Trump and his sycophants have wrought,' Mamdani had responded then of the bigotry. — Emily Ngo
AGREED ON AFFORDABILITY: New York House Democrats who acknowledged Mamdani as their party's pick for New York City mayor found something in his platform they could get onboard with, even as most shied from endorsing him: affordability. They commended him for focusing his campaign on cost of living, a nod to the challenges that animated voters in last year's presidential election.
'His campaign galvanized young voters and centered the fight for a more affordable city for all,' posted Rep. Greg Meeks, who had endorsed Cuomo, congratulating his fellow Queens lawmaker on his Primary Night performance.
Rep. Adriano Espaillat, who also endorsed Cuomo, said that 'affordability continues to be the leading issue across NYC for the families who call our city home.'
Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Nydia Velázquez and Jerry Nadler have endorsed Mamdani, calling for Democratic unity ahead of the November election.
'The radical socialist policies?' Velázquez asked on X, responding to criticism from GOP Rep. Mike Lawler. 'Making a New York City that everyone can afford.' — Emily Ngo
More from Congress:
— Many Democratic lawmakers and officials in Washington either denounced Mamdani or notably declined to rally around him. (Axios)
— The White House is forging ahead with its demand that Congress pass its sweeping megabill by July 4. (POLITICO)
— Senate Republicans are dealt a major blow on Medicaid cuts in the GOP megabill. (POLITICO)
NEW YORK STATE OF MIND
— ICE detainees are being held at a notorious Brooklyn jail with Diddy, Luigi Mangione, feds confirm. (Gothamist)
— The MTA's 4 percent hike in fares and tolls could be delayed next year. (Newsday)
— A video showed U.S. Attorney John Sarcone's encounter with a knife wielding man in downtown Albany. (Times Union)
SOCIAL DATA
IN MEMORIAM: Former Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, whose personal tragedy propelled her to launch a nearly two-decade congressional career as one of the nation's leading voices for gun control, died Wednesday of natural causes at her home in Fort Myers, Florida. She was 81. (Newsday)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY: State Sen. Jessica Ramos (4-0) … Teresa Gonzalez of BSJ … Adam Chen of AG Letitia James' office … Edward Cerna of NYC Council Member Alexa Avilés' office … Carlos Beato of Pitta Bishop & Del Giorno … Trudy Mason … The New School's James Parrott … Nick Rizzo … Terri Smith-Caronia … Tony Fratto … Reuters' David Shepardson … NYT's Krista Mahr and Lisa Friedman … CNN's Carrie Stevenson … Charles Bronfman (94) … George Malkin … Paul Roveda … Scott Livingston … (WAS THURSDAY): Mikhail Khodorkovsky ... Toby Stavisky ... Elizabeth Pipko ... Irving H. Picard ... Austin Grossman ... Robert E. Levin
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