In Trump's tough-guy era, New York mayoral candidates peddle their mettle

Politico

5 hours ago

NEW YORK — Mayoral candidate Brad Lander, admired in New York politics for his policy chops and mocked for his lefty self-importance, tried something off brand when he cut his first TV ad this cycle: Donning a blue suit, the cerebral city comptroller steered a front loader in a junkyard to crush a Tesla bearing Donald Trump's name.
The intended message was obvious: Lander's not just a policy wonk who can audit the books and talk affordable housing. He's a tough guy, too.
That idea of toughness has been an undercurrent in the crowded Democratic primary to oust Mayor Eric Adams — a race that will culminate when voters hit the polls next Tuesday.
Andrew Cuomo portrays himself as the only candidate tough enough to stand up to Trump, leaning on his three terms as New York governor when his domineering style earned him a reputation of strength among his allies and a bully to just about everyone else.
Lander dropped a digital video of himself throwing jabs in a boxing gym as he told viewers he's been 'fighting Eric Adams' corruption.'
Scott Stringer released an ad ahead of the first televised debate entitled 'Toughest' — an attempt to show the bespectacled former city comptroller as a different brand of tough, someone who advocates for New Yorkers without all the bravado. In the spot, Stringer seemed to be doing what Lander didn't: Recognizing the limits of out-tough-guying Cuomo in its traditional sense.
In the lesser-watched city comptroller's race, the burly Justin Brannan is pitching himself as that contest's tough man as well — a bald, tattooed former punk rocker whose face is just inches from the camera as declares he's 'ready to take on Trump and his crew of freaks' in his TV ad. The spot ends casting Brannan as a 'bulldog.'
With the Republican president's aggression looming and Democrats saying they're desperate for a fighter, New York City candidates — generally men — are doing whatever they can to portray themselves as strong this cycle.
'Everything feels hard for New Yorkers, from paying rent and buying groceries to getting around the city. Then you have Trump targeting New York City and ripping New Yorkers away from their families in broad daylight. People are worried and scared. They want someone who sees their fear and anger and will fight back,' Jon Paul Lupo, general consultant for Brannan's campaign, said. 'This isn't about being a man or a woman or progressive or moderate, it's about showing you're as pissed as everyone else and that you have the guts to do something about it.'
How all that tough talk translates — and whether there's an appetite for a less testosterone-driven brand of strength — will impact the outcome of the race. The winner will face Adams, a brash politician and former police captain who relishes in fights, but backed away from the one New Yorkers seemed to want most when he aligned himself with Trump amid his now-dropped federal corruption charges.
No candidate in the crowded Democratic primary field has aspired to the perception of toughness more than Cuomo. Underscoring that theme is the independent ballot line he's organized for the November general election: 'Fight and Deliver.' Its symbol: a pair of boxing gloves.
As governor he wielded power at every turn to accomplish his agenda and punish his rivals. He argues it was that brand of toughness that led to the completion of long-delayed infrastructure projects like the Second Avenue Subway and the resolution of thorny political matters. The legalization of same-sex marriage — a signature Cuomo accomplishment — was preceded by strong-arm tactics and threats from his office, both for allies and opponents.
In the New York state house known for hardball politics, lawmakers long chafed at the aggressive tactics.
'Cuomo is all about being a tough guy from a distance,' said Democratic state Sen. Gustavo Rivera, who has endorsed his leading opponent, Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani. 'It's an '80s mentality — you can't be a softy. You have to be tough to get things done.'
The former governor's style was called into question in 2018 by primary rival Cynthia Nixon — an actress and far-left political activist who dubbed him 'Andrew the Bully.' He resoundingly defeated her at the ballot box, showing that voters either didn't believe her spin or didn't care.
Cuomo's Covid-era slogan was 'NY Tough' — a phrase that a vandal took advantage of in 2021 when the words lighting up a building in Albany were changed to 'NY Touch,' a reference to sexual harassment allegations the former governor denies. He also used it to express his version of tenderness, explaining that 'New York tough means New York loving.'
Tough is a preferred adjective Cuomo employs to convey a manly tenacity. His X account thrice referred to the New York Knicks during their playoff run as 'tough,' including assessing an April 24 win against the Detroit Pistons with the message: 'The @nyknicks were New York Tough tonight.'
Throughout his short campaign this cycle, he has leaned into a promise to combat the White House — seeking to pair voters' desires for a Trump resistance fighter with decades of managerial experience and fearlessness.
During the first televised debate, Cuomo said he 'fought on a daily basis' with Trump during Covid and was successful.
'He can be beaten, but he has to know he's up against an adversary who can actually beat him,' the ex-governor said.
But at times, Cuomo and his team have evinced nervousness and a strong aversion to risk.
They were wary of taking on Adams, even after his September indictment, until it became so obvious he was political roadkill within the Democratic Party that it was a safe bet.
For much of the campaign, Cuomo long avoided public forums and interactions with the press — a common strategy for frontrunners like the former governor — but has upped his public appearances in recent weeks as the race tightens between him and Mamdani. In one incident, he drove away from an event rather than take questions from a group of reporters — and appeared to subsequently run a red light, though his campaign insists he stopped for a pedestrian.
The team tightly controls situations, including his launch event at a union headquarters that featured multiple checkpoints. The time and location was kept under wraps until just a few hours before it began.
His critics contend the strategy is a sign Cuomo has a glass jaw — fearless for cameras, but avoidant of direct combat with his opponents — and bolts from difficult questions. While governor, Cuomo would frequently retreat to safe-space interviews with preferred reporters in controlled settings.
'Cuomo's concept of toughness is muscle cars and self-mythologizing posters — because he's always been more interested in imagery than impact,' said Monica Klein, a communications consultant working for mayoral candidate Zellnor Myrie, a state senator who has not broken out of low single digits in the polls.
'It's tough to face New Yorkers, stand up for your record and present your vision to voters. Ducking press and accountability while refusing to defend your record except when legally mandated to do so is not.'
She called Cuomo's approach a 'veneer of bravado' generally associated with men.
Toughness for Cuomo often comes across as a form of machismo — one of his few hobbies is fixing up old hotrods — that can resonate with voters, said Democratic strategist Alexis Grenell.
'When people are feeling weak and vulnerable as many New Yorkers and Democrats are in theTrump II era, there's something seductive about it,' said Grenell, who has written in opposition to Cuomo's record, including a recent piece in The Nation titled 'Dominance Does Not Equal Competence.'
'That's when many candidates can play to those fears and take advantage of them,' she added.
For City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams — one of just two women in the race — the calculus is different.
Her campaign has tried to capitalize on her modest personality, framing the candidate as a quietly competent leader not interested in drama.
Adrienne Adams, who would become the first Black woman elected mayor, has an even-keeled, unassuming personality — a rarity in New York politics. Her critics say she lacks the political strength to be mayor and point to her late, low-key campaign that operatives believe has promise but has failed to take off.
She sings in her church choir and was urged to run by Attorney General Letitia James, a Cuomo foe. Her supporters see a clear contrast with the hard-charging former governor.
'Strength doesn't have to be loud, but you have to be concrete, you have to be thoughtful,' said Yvette Buckner, a Democratic strategist and the co-chair of The New Majority NYC, which pushed for a majority women City Council. 'You can be powerful without flexing.'