Cuomo will stay in NYC mayor's race after conceding Democratic primary to Mamdani, CNN has learned
Andrew Cuomo will not drop out of the New York City mayoral race by the Friday deadline to remove himself from the general election ballot, sources tell CNN. That leaves in place contingency plans he had established before the Democratic primary to challenge Zohran Mamdani and incumbent Mayor Eric Adams in November.
The former New York governor, who quickly conceded the Democratic primary race on Tuesday night to Mamdani, has not fully committed to running an active campaign through the summer and fall. But Cuomo will keep the place he already secured on the 'Fight & Deliver' ballot line for the November election, three sources say.
Cuomo is calculating that the full city's electorate would be significantly different from Democratic primary voters who were energized by Mamdani's focus on affordability and his campaign's online videos. His camp also believes Mamdani and his policy ideas, from a rent freeze to city-operated grocery stores, will receive increased scrutiny now that Mamdani is positioned to secure a Democratic primary win once ranked-choice votes are allocated next week.
Notably, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul as well as Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries have praised Mamdani since Tuesday but declined to endorse him. And two House Democrats from swing districts in the New York suburbs criticized him after Tuesday's results put him in position to win the primary, while Republicans have sharply criticized Mamdani and tried to tie national Democrats to him.
Mamdani is poised to face Adams, who opted out of this year's Democratic primary and is running as an independent himself, as well as Republican Curtis Sliwa.
Cuomo staying on the November ballot leaves the door open for the former governor to resume his bid for a political comeback, four years after he resigned amid allegations of sexual harassment that he has denied. Cuomo was long considered the front-runner in the mayoral race but faced progressive anger over the sexual harassment cases as well as his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic while mayor, driving much of the liberal enthusiasm for Mamdani.
Cuomo's bet would be that he could become a safe harbor for moderates and progressives concerned about Mamdani, a 33-year-old democratic socialist, or Adams, who was indicted on federal bribery charges before President Donald Trump's administration dismissed them contingent on Adams' cooperation with immigration enforcement.
He could also keep his ballot line without campaigning, as he did in 2002 when he dropped a Democratic primary bid for governor but remained on the ballot as the Liberal Party candidate.
For now, however, Cuomo has not set a timetable for making a final decision on whether to actively campaign or when to re-launch a prospective campaign.
'There's no clock ticking,' one source said.
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Implementing zero emissions standards for buildings. Prohibiting the incarceration of youth offenders. Reissuing an official state apology for slavery that does not include a denial of liability (a follow-up to the state's official apology in 2008). Invest in research related to the legacies of slavery and segregation in New Jersey. As stated in the report, the recommendations are based on two principles: Black people in New Jersey are eligible for reparations because "slavery harmed both enslaved and free Black people, and because segregation and institutional racism have harmed descendants of enslaved people, as well as Black people who arrived in New Jersey well after slavery," and "comprehensive reparations must include both direct payments and policy remedies." 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Jean-Pierre Brutus, who heads the Reparations Council, said in a recent interview with that he hoped the council's report would spur the passage of the bill and the creation of the task force to carry out the report's recommendations. He pointed out that the lack of progress on the state level was what led to the creation of the council in the first place. The task force created by the legislation would be known as the "New Jersey Reparations Task Force," consisting of 11 members, including four legislators and seven public members. Three members would be appointed by the governor, and eight by the state Legislature. Their task would be to examine the institution of slavery that existed within New Jersey; the extent it existed in the state and how the federal government put barriers to former enslaved persons and their descendants thriving economically after slavery ended; look at "the lingering negative effects of slavery" on African Americans and society as whole in the modern day in New Jersey and nationwide; gather research methods and materials for bringing about reparations; make recommendations for the remedies, through what means should they be administered and to whom they would be awarded, and how those recommendations would comply with "national and international standards of remedy for wrongs and injuries." The task force would hold at least six public meetings across the state and would hold its first meeting within three months of enactment. It would issue "an interim report of its progress to the governor and the State Legislature, no later than a year following the initial meeting." Then, the final report and recommendations to the governor and the Legislature within two years of the first meeting. A timeline similar to the one pursued by the Reparations Council in issuing its report. Assemblywoman Shavonda Sumter, D-Paterson, is an original co-sponsor of the reparations task force bill in 2019 with the late Newark assemblyman Ron Rice. Sumter said in comments emailed to that the reparations report by the New Jersey Reparations Council is "timely and essential" and "confronts the hard truths of New Jersey's history and draws a direct line from centuries of systemic racism to the stark disparities Black residents face today." Sumter said some of the recommendations in the report can be implemented in the immediate future, such as guaranteed income for New Jersey residents. She also hoped that the report would prompt the Legislature to pass the task force bill, but noted that any legislative action would come about when "the people demand it." "We've been advocating for this bill since 2019 because true healing requires truth and accountability. This report offers the Legislature a detailed, evidence-based roadmap informed by research and lived experience," Sumter said. "That said, there are still obstacles." Sumter said some of the obstacles to the bill's passage are the discomfort of some of her fellow legislators and the general public around the word 'reparations," and the state's slavery past. "The reality is that many people remain unaware of New Jersey's deep entanglement with slavery and systemic racism. They don't see this as a New Jersey issue when in fact, it absolutely is," Sumter said. "Until we educate the public and create space for honest, informed conversations, the resistance will persist." Ricardo Kaulessar covers race, immigration, and culture for For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today. Email: kaulessar@ Twitter/X: @ricardokaul This article originally appeared on Reparations in NJ: Report outlines payment to slave descendants
