3 days ago
Andrew Cuomo gets mayor endorsement from former critic: ‘Toughness to lead New York'
NEW YORK CITY (PIX11) — A whirlwind week in the race for New York City Mayor ended with a dramatic political about-face and a chaotic rally ending with an arrest.
State Senator Jessica Ramos, once a vocal critic of former Governor Andrew Cuomo, announced Friday she is endorsing him in the Democratic mayoral primary. The surprise move comes despite years of public criticism of Cuomo by Ramos over issues ranging from sexual harassment allegations to the state's handling of nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Ramos said in the end, her decision to endorse Cuomo came down to the looming threat of President Trump, and his experience as compared to the other leading contender in the race Zohran Mamdani.
'Only one of them has the experience and toughness and the knowledge to lead New York through what's about to come, and that's Andrew Cuomo,' Ramos said to loud applause at a rally.
Just six weeks ago, Ramos openly questioned Cuomo's mental acuity. At the time, a spokesperson for Cuomo fired back by implying Ramos was drinking too much. The Senator has also recently failed to qualify for the second Democratic mayoral debate and was passed over for an endorsement by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Cuomo downplayed any recent Ramos criticism: 'You take everything with a grain of salt. I've said things about opponents during campaigns. You get caught up in the rhetoric and energy of the moment. That's the nature of the business.'
Uptown, Mamdani held a rally of his own that was disrupted by a supporter of former President Donald Trump. The man confronted Mamdani, accusing him of being insufficiently supportive of Israel and Jewish people.
Police said 55-year-old Raul Rivera was arrested and charged with assault after allegedly biting one of Mamdani's volunteers who tried to intervene.
Amidst the commotion, Mamdani took aim at Ramos' endorsement of Cuomo.
'Andrew Cuomo is the best example of leadership that has failed New Yorkers,' he said. 'To see him be legitimized is always something that will trouble me.'
Early voting in the NYC Primary begins June 14th.
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