Latest news with #Fight&Deliver
The Hill
a day ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Ackman: Adams can beat Mamdani; Cuomo should leave race
Hedge fund billionaire Bill Ackman has become the latest political influencer to publicly urge former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) to step aside from the New York City mayoral race, even as his name is set to appear on the ballot. Cuomo will appear on the November ballot representing the 'Fight & Deliver' party — which he formed in May — after losing the Democratic primary last month to 33-year-old state Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani. The election, which relies on ranked choice voting, was officially called for Mamdani on Tuesday. Ackman wrote over two lengthy posts on social platform X late Wednesday evening that he doesn't want Mamdani, a democratic socialist, to become the city's next mayor and thinks removing Cuomo as an option on the ballot will benefit incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat who is seeking reelection as an independent. The billionaire said he met with both Adams and Cuomo earlier this week to assess their rival candidacies. 'In short, my takeaway is that Adams can win the upcoming election and that the Governor should step aside to maximize Adams' probability of success,' he wrote. 'I say this while having a high regard for Andrew Cuomo and his contributions to New York State.' Ackman added, 'But it was abundantly clear in his body language, his subdued energy and his proposals to beat Mamdani, that he is not up for the fight.' The deadline for candidates to remove their names from the November ballot lapsed last Friday. Cuomo has given no indication that he plans to pull away, as polls have shown him ahead of Adams and close to Mamdani if he remains in the race. 'Everyone is entitled to their own political opinion — we understand President Trump supports Eric Adams, and do not believe socialism is the answer,' Cuomo campaign spokesman Rich Azzopardi said in a statement to The Hill this week. 'Most New Yorkers are not Trumpers, and most New Yorkers are not socialists — the majority lies in the middle.' 'We will continue to assess the current situation in the best interest of the people of the City of New York,' he added. A poll released this week showed that among all candidates slated to be on the ballot, Cuomo came in second to Mamdani with 29 percent to the Democratic candidate's 35.2 percent. Adams polled fourth behind Republican candidate Curtis Silwa with 13.8 percent and 16.1 percent, respectively. Rev. Al Sharpton, a New York native and Democratic political activist who is backing Mamdani, also urged Cuomo to step aside. 'I think, in the best interest of the legacy of Andrew Cuomo, that he ought to let them have the one-on-one race,' Sharpton said Wednesday on MSNBC's 'Morning Joe.' Sharpton added, 'He can endorse one or the other, and let them have a battle over what is best for New York.' The pressure comes after the former governor said last month that he was 'assessing that landscape,' when asked about a potential independent bid.
New York Post
2 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Poll asks NYers if Andrew Cuomo has a chance to win mayor seat in November: ‘Would you say there is no chance?'
A poll conducted Tuesday night asked New York City voters whether Andrew Cuomo is a viable candidate in a general election for mayor after getting trounced by socialist Zohran Mamdani in the Democratic primary. The survey was conducted by the market research firm Clear Insights, according to a respondent who received the text survey. The first question asked about the voter's preference for mayor, with Cuomo listed first on the minor ballot line called Fight & Deliver. Republican Curtis Sliwa was listed second, Mamdani third on the Democratic line, followed by incumbent Mayor Eric Adams fourth and independent Jim Walden, respectively. Advertisement A new poll asked NYC voters if Andrew Cuomo is a viable option to be a candidate in the general election for mayor after losing to socialist Zohran Mamdani in the Democratic primary.. AP The survey then asked: 'If Eric Adams decided not to run for mayor in the November general election for mayor, who would you vote for? 'Is there any chance you might consider voting for Andrew Cuomo, or would you say there is no chance?' Advertisement The poll provided respondents with both positive and negative statements about the records and positions of both Cuomo and Mamdani, but then gives an additional negative statement about Mamdani. The survey said the voter was 'randomly chosen' to read more from 'critics of Zohran Mamdani.' Every morning, the NY POSTcast offers a deep dive into the headlines with the Post's signature mix of politics, business, pop culture, true crime and everything in between. Subscribe here! The statement said Mamdani opposed legislation to stop revenge porn, and that he would raise $9 billion in taxes, 'driving small businesses out of the city and creating a budget deficit that could put education and transit funding at risk.' Advertisement It then listed Mamdani's anti-Israel positions: accusing Israel of apartheid and committing 'genocide' in Gaza, refusing to support Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state, while 'defending those who say they want to globalize the intifada.' The survey then repeated what was mentioned to voters earlier– that Mamdani wants to 'defund and dismantle' the NYPD, proposed cutting $3 billion from the NYPD budget and advocated for a hiring freeze. Clear Insights conducted the survey with questions including the voter's preference for mayor, if Eric Adams drops out who would you vote for, and whether you would vote for Andrew Cuomo or not. AFP via Getty Images It then asked, 'One final time, who would you vote for?' Advertisement Mamdani, the socialist Queens Assemblyman, defeated Cuomo in the ranked choice Democratic primary 56% to 44%. Mayor Adams, a Democrat skipped the primary. Clear Insights declined to comment on the client it was polling for. The Cuomo campaign declined to comment. An insider with the pro-Cuomo Fix The City Super PAC said it is not polling.
The Hill
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Sharpton calls for Cuomo to drop out of NYC mayor's race
Rev. Al Sharpton suggested Wednesday that it would be in former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) and New Yorkers' best interests if he would remove his name from the mayoral ballot this fall. Cuomo lost New York City's Democratic mayoral primary to state Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani last week and conceded, but CNN reported that Cuomo planned to keep his spot as the 'Fight & Deliver' candidate on the November ballot. Mayor Eric Adams (D), who is seeking reelection as an independent, also will be on the ballot as the main opponent to Mamdani's campaign. 'I think, in the best interest of the legacy of Andrew Cuomo, that he ought to let them have the one-on-one race,' Sharpton, a New York City native who is backing Mamdani, said on MSNBC's 'Morning Joe' on Wednesday. '[Cuomo] can endorse one or the other, and let them have a battle over what is best for New York.' Cuomo isn't expected to continue actively campaign for the job, but campaign spokesperson Rich Azzopardi told The Hill that the former governor is still weighing whether to keep his name on the list as an option for voters. 'Everyone is entitled to their own political opinion — we understand President Trump supports Eric Adams, and do not believe socialism is the answer,' Azzopardi said in a statement. 'Most New Yorkers are not Trumpers, and most New Yorkers are not socialists — the majority lies in the middle.' 'We will continue to assess the current situation in the best interest of the people of the City of New York,' he added. Mamdani, 33, is a self-described democratic socialist, and his proposals to make the city more affordable have prompted critics to accuse him of trying to advance socialism. Adams, who did not seek the Democratic nomination after facing bribery charges, formally launched his independent bid for reelection Thursday.
