Latest news with #JessicaRamos
CBS News
9 hours ago
- Politics
- CBS News
Jessica Ramos endorses Andrew Cuomo in NYC mayor's race. Here's why analysts say she did it.
New York State Sen. Jessica Ramos has endorsed Andrew Cuomo in the New York City mayor's race as the Democratic primary enters the home stretch. Ramos announced her support for the ex-New York governor the day after Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani got endorsed by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and two days after a debate between the nine Democratic candidates. Why did Ramos endorse Cuomo for NYC mayor? When then-Gov. Cuomo was embroiled in a sexual harassment scandal, Ramos called for his resignation. Earlier in the mayoral campaign, she claimed his "mental acuity is in decline." So why is Ramos now endorsing Cuomo for mayor? "Because it's the right thing to do. She has a future ahead of her," J.C. Polanco, a political analyst and associate professor at University of Mount Saint Vincent, said Sunday on CBS News New York's "The Point with Marcia Kramer." "She's seen that she has single digits, has $5,000 in the bank, and she has a lot of time to recover." Polanco does not believe Ramos was promised a job in exchange for her endorsement. "I think it's an opportunity for her to continue staying relevant, understanding that she has no shot of winning this race, and endorsing the frontrunner helps her out," he said. Democratic mayoral candidate Jessica Ramos speaks during a Democratic mayoral primary debate, Wednesday, June 4, 2025, in New York. Yuki Iwamura / AP Ramos did not drop out of the race. In her announcement, she urged voters to rank Cuomo first because she believes he is the best person to take on President Trump. "Donald Trump isn't just a national threat. He's promised punishment. He's promised revenge and I take that seriously. And we're not going to beat that with hash tags and headline stunts. We need serious governing. We need delivery over dogma. Knowing how to govern matters, and that's why I'm endorsing Andrew Cuomo for mayor today," Ramos said Friday. "This wasn't an easy decision." Ocasio-Cortez ranked Mamdani first, followed in order by Adrienne Adams, Brad Lander, Scott Stringer and Zellnor Myrie. Potential impact to Citi Field casino bid O'Brien Murray, a political consultant, said on "The Point" that Ramos' endorsement "unequivocally helps" Cuomo and could be strategic as New York gets closer to awarding downstate casino licenses. "It's amazing that one of the most progressive candidates is the one endorsing him. Helps him there. It's a woman. Given his history, what he had in Albany, all of that is a positive for him. And it changed the narrative from the AOC endorsement," Murray said. Another reason for the endorsement could be the Queens politician's opposition to New York Mets owner Steve Cohen's Metropolitan Park proposal, which would put a casino in the Citi Field parking lot. "She did this also because of the [Sen. John Liu] endorsement for Mamdani. Liu took away the parks issue right now for the casino in Queens at Citi Field," Murray said. "That is a major issue and Cohen is somebody that supports Cuomo. She is going to try to put herself in there and stop the Cohen casino at Citi Field." A general view of USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center and Citi Field as photographed from an airplane arriving into LaGuardia Airport on February 4, 2024 in the Queens borough of New York City, United States. BRUCE BENNETT / Getty Images Ramos previously said she believes the casino business model is built on extracting wealth from communities. There are currently eight casino proposals for three downstate licenses.
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Andrew Cuomo's bid for New York City mayor endorsed by rival in surprise turn
Andrew Cuomo's bid to become New York City's mayor received a surprising boost on Friday when one of his rivals, Queens state senator Jessica Ramos, endorsed the former governor after having previously questioned his mental acuity and describing him as a bully with a record of sexual misconduct allegations. Ramos punctuated her stunning U-turn with a surprise appearance at a campaign rally in Manhattan, where she hugged Cuomo and said she believed he was 'the one best positioned right now to protect this city'. 'We need someone in City Hall who knows how to hold the line and deliver under pressure,' Ramos said in a statement shared on Cuomo's campaign website, just weeks after she claimed his 'mental acuity is in decline'. Ramos also said she had worked with Cuomo 'to raise wages, protect immigrant workers, and pass major labor reforms', and she added that she believed he could 'go toe-to-toe' with the Donald Trump administration 'when it counts'. The endorsement from Ramos comes days after the first the New York City Democratic mayoral primary debate, during which Cuomo faced attacks over his gubernatorial administration's handling of nursing home deaths during the Covid-19 pandemic and sexual harassment allegations against him that prompted his resignation. In 2021, Ramos was one of the first Democratic lawmakers to call for Cuomo to resign over those sexual harassment allegations, which he has denied. An investigation by the state attorney general found he sexually harassed nearly a dozen women – most of whom worked for him – and also retaliated after some made complaints. Ramos in March accused Cuomo's mayoral run of being a 'vanity comeback tour'. She said Cuomo 'brings nothing to this race but baggage'. 'Hard pass on Andrew,' she wrote. Also in March, she called Cuomo 'a corrupt bully with a record of alleged sexual misconduct'. As recently as Wednesday, Ramos said she wished she 'lived in a city where voters cared about women getting harassed. 'We talk about it all the time, but I'm not running about Andrew Cuomo's record,' she told Politico. 'I'm running on my own record.' Ramos's allies on the progressive left greeted her endorsement of Cuomo with dismay – including several organizations that had backed her mayoral candidacy. The Working Families party said it was 'sad and disappointed' by Ramos's 'desperate' decision. The New York City council member Chi Ossé said he was 'hurt' by Ramos's announcement. 'I've always respected her for the work she's done for our city and state,' Ossé wrote on X. 'To see her throw of all her values away and betray the [New Yorkers] she's been fighting for is heartbreaking and disgusting.' The actor Cynthia Nixon, who ran and lost to Cuomo in the 2018 Democratic primary, said on X that she was 'choosing to remember the Jessica Ramos' who 'supported the women who were sexually harassed, remembered the people Cuomo sent to die in nursing homes [and] always called out Cuomo's corruption, mismanagement [and] lies'. 'I'll miss that Ramos,' Nixon added. 'Where did she go?' Ramos said her decision to back Cuomo is what is known as a cross-endorsement, for she does not intend to drop out of the race. Cuomo, meanwhile, told reporters on Friday he would not be returning the favor and endorsing Ramos. However, in a statement, Cuomo said: 'Senator Ramos is a fighter for working New Yorkers, and we are all better off for her leadership. 'Senator Ramos and I are both … tough and protective of our families and neighbors, and by extension we are protective of all New Yorkers.' The closely watched mayoral race in heavily Democratic New York City has largely settled into a two-way fight between Cuomo, the current frontrunner, and the democratic socialist candidate Zohran Mamdani. The incumbent Eric Adams is running as an independent. On Thursday, Mamdani received the prominent endorsement of US congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who told New York Times that Mamdani 'demonstrated a real ability on the ground to put together a coalition of working-class New Yorkers that is strongest to lead the pack'. Ocasio-Cortez ranked five candidates – but left Ramos off her slate.
The Independent
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Another politician who demanded Cuomo resign as governor now endorses him for NYC mayor
A growing number of Democrats who called on Andrew Cuomo to resign as governor amid sexual harassment allegations are now backing his comeback bid for New York City mayor -- including one of his opponents in the race. On Friday, state Sen. Jessica Ramos became the latest to flip-flop on Cuomo and endorse him, casting the former governor as the candidate best suited to run the city. 'We need results, we need experience and someone who knows how to deliver under pressure,' she said at a press conference held by the Cuomo campaign in Manhattan. Though she is backing Cuomo, Ramos said she will remain in the race to advocate for 'higher wages, more housing, and a stronger voice for working people.' The reversal from Ramos, who had called on Cuomo to resign in 2021, came just months after she described him a 'corrupt bully' who 'brings nothing to this race but baggage" when he entered the race. With her endorsement, Ramos joined lawmakers such as Rep. Adriano Espaillat, state Assembly member and Brooklyn Democratic Chair Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn and Rep. Gregory W. Meeks, along with others who have changed positions on Cuomo and now welcome his leadership ahead of the city's Democratic primary later this month. 'There are a lot of elected officials that have decided they want to look past any bad behavior because they want to look at more immediate needs,' said Basil Smikle, a Democratic political strategist and professor at Columbia University. 'They seem him as a strong person. They probably think he's the only one that can push back against Donald Trump.' Cuomo left office after the state attorney general released a report that determined he sexually harassed at least 11 women. He has said he did not intentionally mistreat the women but had instead fallen behind what was considered appropriate workplace conduct, while at the same criticizing the pressure for his ouster politically motivated. For Cuomo, securing the endorsements of those who once castigated him could ease voter concerns about his past scandals and bolster his long-held thesis that he was wrongfully forced to resign. In a statement, Cuomo said he was proud to have Ramos' support and looked forward to working with her to "put this city back on the right track and make this a stronger and more affordable place for all working men and women.' 'We're both proud Queens kids and with it comes a 'Queens attitude' that is both tough and protective of our families and our neighbors and by extension all New Yorkers,' he said. Ramos' endorsement came a day after U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez threw her weight behind mayoral hopeful Zohran Mamdani, a 33-year-old democratic socialist who has surged in the months leading up to the primary. Ramos has grown critical of Mamdani as the left flank of the Democratic Party has coalesced behind him. She jabbed at the social media-savvy Mamdani during a debate this week, saying she wished she'd run for mayor sooner but 'I thought I needed more experience but turns out you just need to make good videos."
Associated Press
2 days ago
- Politics
- Associated Press
Another politician who demanded Cuomo resign as governor now endorses him for NYC mayor
A growing number of Democrats who called on Andrew Cuomo to resign as governor amid sexual harassment allegations are now backing his comeback bid for New York City mayor -- including one of his opponents in the race. On Friday, state Sen. Jessica Ramos became the latest to flip-flop on Cuomo and endorse him, casting the former governor as the candidate best suited to run the city. 'We need results, we need experience and someone who knows how to deliver under pressure,' she said at a press conference held by the Cuomo campaign in Manhattan. Though she is backing Cuomo, Ramos said she will remain in the race to advocate for 'higher wages, more housing, and a stronger voice for working people.' The reversal from Ramos, who had called on Cuomo to resign in 2021, came just months after she described him a 'corrupt bully' who 'brings nothing to this race but baggage' when he entered the race . With her endorsement, Ramos joined lawmakers such as Rep. Adriano Espaillat , state Assembly member and Brooklyn Democratic Chair Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn and Rep. Gregory W. Meeks , along with others who have changed positions on Cuomo and now welcome his leadership ahead of the city's Democratic primary later this month. 'There are a lot of elected officials that have decided they want to look past any bad behavior because they want to look at more immediate needs,' said Basil Smikle, a Democratic political strategist and professor at Columbia University. 'They seem him as a strong person. They probably think he's the only one that can push back against Donald Trump.' Cuomo left office after the state attorney general released a report that determined he sexually harassed at least 11 women. He has said he did not intentionally mistreat the women but had instead fallen behind what was considered appropriate workplace conduct, while at the same criticizing the pressure for his ouster politically motivated. For Cuomo, securing the endorsements of those who once castigated him could ease voter concerns about his past scandals and bolster his long-held thesis that he was wrongfully forced to resign. In a statement, Cuomo said he was proud to have Ramos' support and looked forward to working with her to 'put this city back on the right track and make this a stronger and more affordable place for all working men and women.' 'We're both proud Queens kids and with it comes a 'Queens attitude' that is both tough and protective of our families and our neighbors and by extension all New Yorkers,' he said. Ramos' endorsement came a day after U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez threw her weight behind mayoral hopeful Zohran Mamdani , a 33-year-old democratic socialist who has surged in the months leading up to the primary. Ramos has grown critical of Mamdani as the left flank of the Democratic Party has coalesced behind him. She jabbed at the social media-savvy Mamdani during a debate this week, saying she wished she'd run for mayor sooner but 'I thought I needed more experience but turns out you just need to make good videos.'
CBS News
3 days ago
- Politics
- CBS News
In NYC mayor's race, Andrew Cuomo, State Sen. Jessica Ramos expected to unveil ranked choice voting alliance
As the race for New York City mayor heats up, Andrew Cuomo and fellow Democratic candidate New York State Sen. Jessica Ramos are expected to announce Friday a ranked choice voting alliance for the June primary election. Cuomo and Ramos are holding a news conference Friday morning where they are expected to make the announcement. Neither candidate is expected to leave the race. The purpose of asking primary voters to choose someone else as their second choice is to boost that person's chances as the rounds of voting progress, until someone reaches 50%. Cuomo is the overwhelming frontrunner in the Democratic race, followed in most polls by socialist Queens Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani. Cuomo was the favorite punching bag during the first debate earlier this week. His fellow democratic candidates attacked him over the sexual harassment and nursing home scandals that forced him from the governor's office four years ago. Andrew Cuomo greets Jessica Ramos before participating in the New York City Democratic Mayoral Primary Debate on June 4, 2025 in New York City. Yuki Iwamura / Getty Images The morning after the debate, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez threw her support behind Mamdani with a formal endorsement. "This is our most effective tool to protect NYC institutions from being molded to maximize impunity for Cuomo's bully politics," Ocasio-Cortez said in a statement accompanying her top five rankings: Zohran Mamdani, Adrienne Adams, Brad Lander, Scott Stringer and Zellnor Myrie. Cuomo brushed off the news, and his campaign pointed to his recent endorsement from the Far Rockaway Jewish Alliance saying this is "why he leads in every poll and why, when he's mayor, he's going to get this city back on the right track and make it more affordable and safer for all." Absent from Wednesday's debate stage was New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who is running for reelection on the independent ticket. Early voting in the primary election starts June 14 ahead of Election Day on June 24. Like the last mayoral primary, voters will use ranked choice voting to select up to five candidates. contributed to this report.
