Latest news with #anti-Cuomo
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Jessica Ramos endorsing Andrew Cuomo for NYC mayor weeks after questioning his ‘mental acuity'
NEW YORK — In an extraordinary about-face, back-of-the-pack mayoral candidate Jessica Ramos is endorsing her front-running rival Andrew Cuomo — just weeks after questioning his 'mental acuity' and comparing his mental state to former President Joe Biden's. Ramos, a Queens state senator who was also among scores of lawmakers to call for Cuomo's 2021 resignation as governor over sexual misconduct accusations, is expected to formally throw her political weight behind his mayoral bid at a press conference in Manhattan on Friday morning, sources confirmed to the Daily News. Ramos and her campaign didn't immediately return multiple calls. But she told the New York Times, which first reported her surprising decision, that she's going with Cuomo because 'he's the one best positioned right now to protect this city.' Cuomo, who's polling as the favorite to win the June 24 Democratic mayoral primary, 'knows how to hold the line and deliver under pressure,' she added, citing uncertainty caused by President Donald Trump. Ramos, who identifies as a progressive Democrat, said she's not dropping out and her name will still appear on the primary ballot. But her endorsement of the centrist Cuomo is an effective acknowledgement she has no path to victory. Most polls of the mayoral race have shown Ramos pulling 1% or less in support. On the fundraising side, she hasn't taken in enough cash to qualify for matching funds and her latest filing from last month showed she had just about $9,000 in her war chest. The Cuomo nod marks a drastic flip-flop for Ramos, who said in April she believes Cuomo's 'mental acuity is in decline.' 'I don't think the City of New York can afford a Joe Biden moment,' she said at the time, referring to the former president who ended his reelection bid last year after serious concerns emerged about his mental fitness. 'I think that there are real reasons why [Cuomo is] not answering questions.' In response to her mental fitness broadsides against Cuomo, his spokesman Rich Azzopardi shot back in April: 'Was she sober when she said it?' Azzopardi didn't immediately return a request for comment Friday. Ramos has been a harsh critic of the centrist Cuomo on a number of other fronts, too. 'People may want to be courteous to Cuomo's face but they don't forget the people he sent to die, the women he touched or the people he left in our streets needing mental health care and housing,' Ramos wrote on X in March, referring to accusations that Cuomo mismanaged the COVID pandemic, sexually harassed more than 10 women and shuttered psychiatric institutions statewide as governor. Cuomo has denied the sexual harassment and pandemic mismanagement claims. Ramos' change of heart comes just days after the progressive Working Families Party ranked her its No. 5 candidate as part of an anti-Cuomo mayoral endorsement slate. On Friday, the party, which has had a rocky relationship with Ramos over the years, said it's 'sad and disappointed' by Ramos' announcement, but vowed to not 'be distracted by this desperate move.' Party leaders declined to immediately say whether they will formally remove Ramos from the slate. Ramos, the chair of the State Senate's Labor Committee, was the first woman to enter the 2025 mayoral race and had hoped to build a coalition rooted in union and Latino communities. But she never gained momentum on the campaign trail, as other progressives in the race, like runner-up candidate Zohran Mamdani, capitalized on a surge in enthusiasm for left-wing politics among young voters. During the first mayoral debate this week, Ramos lobbed a barb at Mamdani, Cuomo's top rival in the race, saying she wished she had run for mayor in 2021. 'I thought I needed more experience, but turns out you just need to make good videos,' she said, a reference to Mamdani's social media strategy. -----------
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
The Little Super PAC That Could (Stop Andrew Cuomo)
Once Andrew Cuomo, the ex-governor of New York, announced that he was running for mayor of New York City, the race was his to lose. Despite having resigned in disgrace in 2021 amid a cascade of scandals, he was, and is, leading in the polls. The counts against him are legion: Cuomo's policies reportedly exacerbated New York's COVID-19 death toll; he acknowledged that he withheld data on COVID-19 nursing home deaths from state lawmakers, the public, and the press; and he allegedly threatened a colleague. The state attorney general issued a report which found he had violated federal and state law in sexually harassing 11 women and retaliating against a former employee (Biden's DOJ later found he had harassed 13). His vaccine czar reportedly linked access to the vaccine to support for the governor. The state's Joint Commission on Public Ethics corroborated allegations that he'd used state resources to produce and promote a memoir he was paid $5.1 million to write. Though he apologized for making people 'feel uncomfortable,' he fought the women who said he'd harassed them tooth and nail, and his lawyers sought records from the gynecologist and therapist of at least one. The fallout from Cuomo's misconduct continues—in April, House Oversight Chair James Comer asked the DOJ to prosecute him for lying to Congress about his involvement in a report that undercounted COVID-19 nursing home deaths—but the headlines have subsided. Campaign finance errors cost him more than $2 million in public matching funds in April, and, after finding that he had probably unlawfully coordinated with a super PAC, the NYC Campaign Finance Board denied him an additional $622,000 in May—a figure that could rise to $1.3 million by the end of the month. None of this has dented his lead in the polls. Like his father Mario, Cuomo was a sometimes popular three-term governor of New York, and New Yorkers know his name. After a lifetime in politics and over a decade in the governor's mansion, he is also a formidable fundraiser. Fix the City, the super PAC city officials believe he illegally coordinated with, has now raised more than $8.7 million—the largest amount ever raised in city elections now that outside entities can receive unlimited donations. Fix the City has taken hundreds of thousands of dollars from current and former Trump backers: $250,000 from billionaire Trump fan Bill Ackman, $100,000 from an investment firm run by Trump's one-time communications director Anthony Scaramucci, and $50,000 from GOP megadonor Ken Langone. These sums dwarf what anti-Cuomo super PACs have been able to raise. New Yorkers for a Better New York Today, the super PAC associated with a campaign launched in February to blunt the momentum of the expected frontrunner in the mayor's race—first, New York's current scandal-plagued mayor Eric Adams, and now, the state's disgraced ex-governor—has so far raised around $52,000 (most donations under $1K won't be filed with the state until the end of May). That's around 0.6 percent of what Fix the City has raised, which explains why its founders jokingly call it the 'world's smallest super PAC.' Its top donor is Jews for Racial & Economic Justice's, or JFREJ's, electoral arm, The Jewish Vote, which contributed $5,000. Other anti-Cuomo PACs include New Yorkers for Lower Costs, which supports the candidacy of Zohran Mamdani, and one originally called United For A Brighter Tomorrow, which ran anti-Cuomo ads before Cuomo officially entered the race. None have anything comparable to Fix the City's haul. But maybe size isn't everything. The strategists and organizers who launched New Yorkers for a Better New York Today also, along with UAW Region 9A, masterminded the broader anti-Cuomo campaign known as DREAM. DREAM originally stood for, 'Don't Rank Eric Adams for Mayor;' once Cuomo entered the race, it became 'Don't Rank Eric (Adams) or Andrew (Cuomo) for Mayor.' Now that Adams has announced that he will forgo the Democratic primary and run as an independent in the general election instead, rendering Cuomo the central threat to the 'dream' of electing a progressive mayor, it stands for, 'Don't Rank Evil Andrew for Mayor.' What the DREAM team and New Yorkers for a Better New York Today lack in size, they have been making up for in style, salience, and agility. The PAC's name may not trip off the tongue, but—thanks to its memorable acronym, sold-out merch, and clickable social media videos featuring Sports Illustrated swimsuit models, designers, comedians, fashion consultants, and/or NYC natives—the DREAM concept, as a campaign and a brand, is punching above its weight and has united a broad swath of anti-Cuomo New Yorkers under a common banner. DREAM's message has managed to break through a crowded and fragmented information ecosystem in a major world city in part because it's catchy, aspirational (Dream big!), and, to journalists and Cuomo critics—hardly mutually exclusive groups—deeply compelling. Veteran radio personality Brian Lehrer, who hosts a long-running politics show on WNYC, recently discussed it with Gothamist reporter Elizabeth Kim on the air ('Kind of creative, right, Brian?' said Kim, referring to the switch from 'Don't Rank Eric or Andrew for Mayor' to 'Don't Rank Evil Andrew for Mayor'). References to DREAM have appeared in The New York Times, Politico, City & State New York, Crain's New York Business, and more. Anti-Cuomo organizations, elected officials, candidates, and individuals are also eager to spread the DREAM gospel. Speaking of DREAM in a phone conversation, State Sen. Gustavo Rivera, who represents a Bronx district, said, 'I don't have any official [role], but I am a full-on Dreamer.' Cuomo is 'not only a terrible human,' he added, but a 'terrible governor' who 'should not be anywhere near public service and certainly should not be the mayor of New York City.' Rivera added that sharing his perspective 'in English or in español' about what a 'hot garbage pile' Cuomo is would be one of the 'happiest volunteer activities' of his summer. Joining Rivera in his mission are the New York Working Families Party, or NYWFP, the NYC chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America (of which I'm a member), and JFREJ, among others. Ana Maria Archila, co-director of the NYWFP, said in a phone conversation that her organization has focused on 'encouraging collaboration' among like-minded candidates 'aligned with the Working Families Party agenda.' The NYWFP can't engage in independent expenditure activity and isn't involved with any DREAM-adjacent super PAC, but it hopes to cultivate a united anti-Cuomo front by supporting the broader effort to persuade New Yorkers not to rank him. Alicia Singham Goodwin, JFREJ's political director, said DREAM helps clarify how ranked-choice voting works and 'makes it really clear that this election is between the left and Andrew Cuomo.' A recent NYWFP ad outlines its strategy of endorsing a slate of candidates in the mayor's race, and ends with NYWFP co-director Jasmine Gripper exclaiming, 'Rank the slate and remember to dream!' (Even with ranked-choice voting, many are pushing for progressives to unite behind a single candidate closer to the primary. Archila said the NYWFP will announce its #1 pick at the end of May.) The message seems to be resonating with everyday New Yorkers as well. In the last couple of weeks, stickers, posters, and graffiti bearing some version of the directive, 'Don't Rank Cuomo for Mayor' have appeared on lampposts, street signs, and bus shelters. Some are—or mimic—official campaign merch, with some of the lettering meant to evoke New York City subway signs; others repeat the same message in a variety of styles and with additional editorializing: 'Andrew Cuomo Won't Stand Up to Trump—He'll Sell Us Out/'Don't Vote for His Ass!'', 'Don't Rank Cuomo/No More Creeps!', 'Andrew Cuomo Is a Rapist,' and 'If You Tore Down My 'Cuomo is a Rapist' a Little Bitch/We Have Options/Don't Rank Cuomo.' Lawrence Wang, the co-founder of Greenpill, a communications and strategy firm instrumental in launching DREAM, said in a phone conversation that DREAM organizers' work on successful campaigns to pass the Build Public Renewables Act (now the subject of a forthcoming book), elect climate organizer Sarahana Shrestha to the state assembly, and elect Kristen González, whose main opponent outraised her by hundreds of thousands of dollars, to the state senate had taught them how to win against significant odds. 'We are seeing the power of a different kind of communications, a different kind of reaching out to New Yorkers, that has been effective without the money or the budgets that many of our opponents have,' he said. With fewer resources, DREAM has had to pioneer new ways of reaching the voters and would-be voters that campaigns like Cuomo's take for granted. And in a political world still dominated by fear-mongering, repetitive, and mind-bogglingly expensive TV and radio spots that may or may not work, campaigns like DREAM must find creative ways to capture the public's attention. DREAM organizers have learned from their losses as well, most notably U.S. Rep. Jamaal Bowman's failed 2024 bid for reelection, which Wang and others worked on. 'AIPAC [the pro-Israel American Israel Public Affairs Committee] and its allies had a 17-to-1 fundraising advantage against Bowman's campaign and won,' Wang noted in an email. 'Yet in the presidential election, despite spending between $346-647 million to Trump's $147-273 million, Kamala Harris was unable to beat Trump.' Wang added that while those numbers don't paint the entire picture, given hard-to-track dark money spending, a key takeaway from the 2024 presidential race was that Trump and the right embraced 'novel, guerilla, and alternative media compared to Harris and the Democrats'' more traditional spending—and won. 'From our own experience of what's worked and what hasn't,' Wang wrote, 'what separates them is the clarity of the message, the audacity of the vision, and the willingness to embrace unconventional tactics.' DREAM organizers' primary goal is to defeat Cuomo, but they also want to show risk-averse political operatives that a fresh approach can work. Despite DREAM's effectiveness at uniting anti-Cuomo New Yorkers around a clear and powerful message, top progressive donors and large institutions have been reluctant to contribute to its super PAC. Some have cited what they see as the need to focus on fighting Trump. Others may be reluctant to antagonize the famously vindictive Cuomo, particularly in a race he is expected to win. Wang sees this lack of financial support as a missed opportunity: 'With the stakes of this election and Cuomo's significant money advantage, we can't afford to play it safe.' Given the chance, and a fraction of a Bill Ackman-sized donation, the DREAM team would try to reach as many New Yorkers as possible by targeting diverse groups who use different social media platforms in different ways, from older people sharing political memes on Facebook to younger people getting their news on YouTube to immigrant communities sharing information and jokes on WhatsApp and WeChat. Some of the ideas they've considered but haven't yet executed for reasons ranging from potential legal risks to lack of money, time, and labor sound like they came out of a sketch show writers' room: 'Rats against Cuomo,' which could involve people dressing up as rats and going around the city saying things like, 'Rats get a bad rap, but did a rat ever shut down your school?/raise your rent?/defend Trump?' (Answer: 'No, that was Adams and Cuomo!') or a Mayor Cuomo food truck, which sells classic NYC street snacks at prices that go up every five minutes thanks to Cuomo's policies. A female Dreamer proposed selling purse-sized bottles of Cuomo-repelling pepper spray. Carla Marie Davis, a social media content creator who analyzes city and state politics—and, per Instagram, a Brooklyn-born-and-raised 'fashion girlie that somehow ended up in local politics'—has shot several DREAM videos and thinks their appeal is clear. Reached by phone, she said the campaign strikes 'the perfect balance of being informative but also engaging and kind of playful.' Their products are 'shareable, digestible, and accessible' and 'not overly academic'—in short, 'the type of content that you don't have to be a political wonk to enjoy.' Asked how DREAM's approach differs from older, cringier social media campaigns, Davis said organizers have learned a great deal in recent years about what works and what doesn't. They're not afraid to try new things or refine their approach. In the past, she added, campaigns tended to focus on landing big celebrity endorsements, even though big-name celebrities 'don't necessarily have as strong of a social currency' as was once assumed. People with 'an authentic voice,' Davis said, can potentially have more of an impact. Social media content is the 'core focus,' she explained, because it's 'such a powerful tool to leverage—even older folks, you know, gone are the days where older folks aren't on there—they might not be quite as active, but they're there.' As they have several times in the last decade of American politics, causes and candidates with fewer financial resources can triumph over those with more. Yet as Cuomo's persistent polling lead indicates, money remains a crucial advantage. 'When you're outmatched in terms of money, a lot of it comes down to how you are deploying the limited resources you have, and the message,' Michael Beckel, Senior Research Director at Issue One, a nonprofit committed to reducing the role of money in politics, said in a phone call. 'There's a lot more people who can be spoken to about politics who may be disillusioned by it or feel like their vote doesn't matter, who can be activated,' Wang said. 'We've done some filming in Flatbush and Bed-Stuy, we're planning to go to Staten Island…we want to talk to people where they're at, not just digitally but also quite literally.'
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
The Cuomo paradox: Unpopular, yet still leading the New York City mayor's race
NEW YORK — A recent poll conducted in Park Slope, Brooklyn found the well-educated, politically engaged, liberal voters there bear exceptionally high antipathy for Andrew Cuomo's frontrunner mayoral bid. Those voters, whose local food cooperative once descended into controversy over the origin of hummus, also ranked the decisively non-lefty Cuomo third among nine Democratic mayoral candidates. That dichotomy underscores the essence of the race to replace Mayor Eric Adams: Far more voters have a negative view of the domineering former governor than of any other candidate in the Democratic primary. He's on track to win anyway. Uber hired California-based David Binder Research in late April to conduct the poll, which POLITICO reviewed in full. It reveals the level of distaste Democratic primary voters have for their former governor, whose candidacy has boosted his return to public life after resigning in scandal in 2021. Nearly three-quarters of the 400 people surveyed hold a negative view of Cuomo, second only to the incumbent mayor's 90 percent disapproval rating. Eric Adams, a registered Democrat, is sitting out the primary to run as an independent in the general election. The distaste for Cuomo — unsurprisingly on steroids in lefty Park Slope — is echoed in citywide polls and has motivated his rivals to continue pushing toward the June 24 primary, even when their campaign sprints look more like a collective death march. Cuomo trounced them all last week in a Marist poll that showed second-place Zohran Mamdani falling far short and no one else coming close. A super PAC backing the ex-governor continues to raise gobs of cash, despite its presumed coordination with his campaign costing him hundreds of thousands of dollars in public matching funds and undermining the argument that he's the most competent candidate in the field. It seems every week someone who called on him to resign just four years ago is rushing to his side — often in writing, since his campaign appearances are limited. 'Cuomo is a paradox: He is way ahead and winning easily but he has high negatives and is vulnerable to attack,' said New York City-based Democratic consultant Jon Paul Lupo, who is not affiliated with a mayoral campaign. 'His opponents are all counting on other candidates to spend money on those attacks. It's a classic freeloader problem — a rational decision for each campaign to make but collectively spells doom.' It may just be that the only way to defeat Cuomo is not with a who, but a how. The candidates can choose a strategy of cross endorsements to capitalize on ranked-choice voting and unify in their opposition to Cuomo. An 11th-hour partnership between Andrew Yang and Kathryn Garcia in the 2021 mayor's race catapulted Garcia into a close second place. But such a move would require politicians to buck their tendency toward singular success over collaboration. Mamdani rebuffed a suggestion by city Comptroller Brad Lander to pool funds for an anti-Cuomo ad. Others reportedly rejected Mamdani's counterproposal. New York political mainstay Scott Stringer didn't mention Cuomo in his first TV ad that began airing last week. Even the anti-Cuomo Working Families Party left blank its fifth spot on a hypothetical ranked-choice ballot, choosing no one over a few under-funded candidates. Among Cuomo's rivals, no one has successfully zeroed in on why he's so unpopular, or how to chip away at his strengths: Executive experience in a time of uncertainty, universal name recognition when few people are dialed into local politics, a trademark toughness that appeals to Democrats desperate to take on President Donald Trump. The candidates' anti-Cuomo messages have yet to stick, but they are starting to put money behind them in TV ads and ramping them up on the campaign trail. Lander is calling him corrupt — a reference to his nursing home order during Covid and an attorney general's report finding he sexually harassed women on his gubernatorial staff. Cuomo denies all wrongdoing and is pursuing aggressive legal recourse. Lander recently dropped three-quarters-of-a-million-dollars on an ad buy calling Cuomo corrupt and trying to out-tough-guy the former governor — a tough task for the bookish comptroller. Mamdani is criticizing Cuomo's pro-Trump mega-donors, but the PAC backing him has nowhere near the resources of the one supporting Cuomo. State Sen. Zellnor Myrie and City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams have suggested Black voters should pick a fellow Black candidate from their own neighborhoods over Cuomo, who polls best among African Americans. Stringer has lambasted his record as governor. And they've all, in one way or another, implied he's mounting a comeback for selfish reasons. But Democratic voters have yet to respond to those attacks. In fact, outside the bubble of candidates, consultants and local press, the race sometimes feels like it's barely begun as many New Yorkers remain overwhelmed by national news. Cuomo led the first round of last week's Marist poll with 44 percent of likely primary voters to Mamdani's 22 percent; the ex-governor won the ranked-choice simulation by the fifth round with 53 percent to Mamdani's 29 percent. With undecided voters factored into the survey, Cuomo started out with a healthy 37 percent, to Mamdani's 18 percent. Mamdani, a democratic socialist state lawmaker, has tapped deeper into the well of far-lefty support than any citywide candidate in recent memory. He's out-raised, out-polled and out-TikToked his rivals. And he's beating Lander in his own Park Slope backyard, 30 percent to 24 percent, per Uber's poll. Cuomo came in third with 19 percent, and no one else broke double digits. Nevertheless, last week's Marist poll shows what Mamdani's rivals have long privately whispered — he appears to be hitting his ceiling, and it's too low to bypass Cuomo. He and his supporters in the Democratic Socialists of America have yet to proactively embrace a ranked-choice strategy. 'There is a lot of appetite in the organization to educate people about ranked-choice voting and also ensuring that people are filling out their ballot(s) to block Cuomo. I think where it becomes complicated is that we are so committed to Zohran and we've been campaigning so hard for him,' DSA's Michael Whitesides said, following a closed-press forum to discuss the relatively new voting system. 'American politics is so used to this first past the post. My guy or no guy.' Asked about the campaign's strategy to defeat Cuomo, a Mamdani spokesperson highlighted his robust door-knocking operation — more than 20,000 volunteers having knocked at least 500,000 doors across the city so far. 'Coupled with an aggressive paid media plan fueled by millions of dollars in matching funds and a relentless focus on an economic message to address the cost of living crisis — an agenda that poll after poll finds to be overwhelmingly popular — we are confident we can overcome Andrew Cuomo's MAGA billionaires and win a city working families can afford,' the spokesperson said. Lander's team saw hope in Marist's poll, which found him ending the race in third place with 18 percent, after starting in fourth place at 10 percent. 'This poll shows Brad is one of two challengers positioned to beat Andrew Cuomo and end the corruption and chaos of Adams-Trump,' campaign manager Alison Hirsh said in a statement. 'And it shows that Brad benefits more than any other candidate by ranked-choice voting, because he is the one candidate who can unify all parts of our city.' 'While Andrew Cuomo has had millions of dollars of potentially illegal ads boosting him on TV through his super PAC, his numbers have failed to improve,' Hirsh added, referring to the Campaign Finance Board's decision to withhold over $600,000 from Cuomo because of potential coordination with a PAC backing him. Cuomo spokesperson Rich Azzopardi said the campaign 'has operated in full compliance with the campaign finance laws and rules' and is confident Cuomo will receive full public matching funds. The conundrum for Lander, of course, is that he's been suppressed by Mamdani and risks angering the younger lawmaker's loyal supporters by attacking him on the trail. Adrienne Adams' team was also bullish on the Marist poll, which found her starting the race in third place at 11 percent, even as she has yet to qualify for matching funds that are all but essential to win a citywide race. 'There's a clear reason why support for Adrienne has doubled without burning through millions of dollars — New Yorkers finally see a candidate in it for us,' senior advisor Missayr Boker said in a statement. A gospel singer who regularly attends church in the high-turnout area of Southeast Queens, Adrienne Adams is hoping to undermine Cuomo's substantial lead with Black Democrats — a difficult task with low name recognition and inadequate funds. She has been campaigning alongside Attorney General Letitia James and released a digital video Friday showcasing her large family and New York roots. She's also been saying she is running for the collective good — a thinly veiled attack on Cuomo, whom she's implying is in the race for personal redemption. Stringer, who routinely polls in the single digits, has been holding tight to his cash until the end — hoping to make a final push on TV and banking on his high name recognition in his political home base of Manhattan's Upper West Side, where turnout remains high. Stringer has managed to sidestep any mention of the sexual harassment scandal that ruined his chances in the 2021 mayor's race — accusations he denies — but he has yet to catch fire with voters or endorsers. He's hoping to win over the United Federation of Teachers, which seems to like Cuomo, and the New York Post editorial board, which does not, according to someone on his team who would speak only on the condition of anonymity. 'This is a concerted effort to go late,' the person said. 'He has been confident that we should go late with the ads, be lean and mean. From the get go, he's had a theory that people tune in late.' The theory on Myrie scoring a long-shot victory is putting out a slew of policy proposals his team believes will eventually resonate. 'New Yorkers are coalescing around Zellnor's bold vision to deliver 1 million homes, provide Afterschool for All and full-day pre-K and 3-K,' Olivia Lapeyrolerie, his spokesperson, said in a statement. 'That's why he has support from all 51 city council districts and community boards. With matching funds in the bank since March and ads launching earlier this month, Zellnor has the pieces in place to win this race.' Myrie entered the race with promise but has yet to crack double digits in the polls. Cuomo is still considered beatable — but the window is closing, said Democratic strategist Trip Yang, who is not affiliated with any campaign. 'If they can successfully attack Cuomo's record, there's the potential for his numbers to go down,' he said. 'However, if the candidates spend most of their time introducing themselves, which is a rational strategy because of their low name ID, the likelihood is Cuomo wins.' — Nick Reisman contributed reporting.
Politico
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Politico
The Cuomo paradox: Unpopular, yet still leading the New York City mayor's race
NEW YORK — A recent poll conducted in Park Slope, Brooklyn found the well-educated, politically engaged, liberal voters there bear exceptionally high antipathy for Andrew Cuomo's frontrunner mayoral bid. Those voters, whose local food cooperative once descended into controversy over the origin of hummus, also ranked the decisively non-lefty Cuomo third among nine Democratic mayoral candidates. That dichotomy underscores the essence of the race to replace Mayor Eric Adams: Far more voters have a negative view of the domineering former governor than of any other candidate in the Democratic primary. He's on track to win anyway. Uber hired California-based David Binder Research in late April to conduct the poll, which POLITICO reviewed in full. It reveals the level of distaste Democratic primary voters have for their former governor, whose candidacy has boosted his return to public life after resigning in scandal in 2021. Nearly three-quarters of the 400 people surveyed hold a negative view of Cuomo, second only to the incumbent mayor's 90 percent disapproval rating. Eric Adams, a registered Democrat, is sitting out the primary to run as an independent in the general election. The distaste for Cuomo — unsurprisingly on steroids in lefty Park Slope — is echoed in citywide polls and has motivated his rivals to continue pushing toward the June 24 primary, even when their campaign sprints look more like a collective death march. Cuomo trounced them all last week in a Marist poll that showed second-place Zohran Mamdani falling far short and no one else coming close. A super PAC backing the ex-governor continues to raise gobs of cash, despite its presumed coordination with his campaign costing him hundreds of thousands of dollars in public matching funds and undermining the argument that he's the most competent candidate in the field. It seems every week someone who called on him to resign just four years ago is rushing to his side — often in writing, since his campaign appearances are limited. 'Cuomo is a paradox: He is way ahead and winning easily but he has high negatives and is vulnerable to attack,' said New York City-based Democratic consultant Jon Paul Lupo, who is not affiliated with a mayoral campaign. 'His opponents are all counting on other candidates to spend money on those attacks. It's a classic freeloader problem — a rational decision for each campaign to make but collectively spells doom.' It may just be that the only way to defeat Cuomo is not with a who, but a how. The candidates can choose a strategy of cross endorsements to capitalize on ranked-choice voting and unify in their opposition to Cuomo. An 11th-hour partnership between Andrew Yang and Kathryn Garcia in the 2021 mayor's race catapulted Garcia into a close second place. But such a move would require politicians to buck their tendency toward singular success over collaboration. Mamdani rebuffed a suggestion by city Comptroller Brad Lander to pool funds for an anti-Cuomo ad. Others reportedly rejected Mamdani's counterproposal. New York political mainstay Scott Stringer didn't mention Cuomo in his first TV ad that began airing last week. Even the anti-Cuomo Working Families Party left blank its fifth spot on a hypothetical ranked-choice ballot, choosing no one over a few under-funded candidates. Among Cuomo's rivals, no one has successfully zeroed in on why he's so unpopular, or how to chip away at his strengths: Executive experience in a time of uncertainty, universal name recognition when few people are dialed into local politics, a trademark toughness that appeals to Democrats desperate to take on President Donald Trump. The candidates' anti-Cuomo messages have yet to stick, but they are starting to put money behind them in TV ads and ramping them up on the campaign trail. Lander is calling him corrupt — a reference to his nursing home order during Covid and an attorney general's report finding he sexually harassed women on his gubernatorial staff. Cuomo denies all wrongdoing and is pursuing aggressive legal recourse. Lander recently dropped three-quarters-of-a-million-dollars on an ad buy calling Cuomo corrupt and trying to out-tough-guy the former governor — a tough task for the bookish comptroller. Mamdani is criticizing Cuomo's pro-Trump mega-donors, but the PAC backing him has nowhere near the resources of the one supporting Cuomo. State Sen. Zellnor Myrie and City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams have suggested Black voters should pick a fellow Black candidate from their own neighborhoods over Cuomo, who polls best among African Americans. Stringer has lambasted his record as governor. And they've all, in one way or another, implied he's mounting a comeback for selfish reasons. But Democratic voters have yet to respond to those attacks. In fact, outside the bubble of candidates, consultants and local press, the race sometimes feels like it's barely begun as many New Yorkers remain overwhelmed by national news. Cuomo led the first round of last week's Marist poll with 44 percent of likely primary voters to Mamdani's 22 percent; the ex-governor won the ranked-choice simulation by the fifth round with 53 percent to Mamdani's 29 percent. With undecided voters factored into the survey, Cuomo started out with a healthy 37 percent, to Mamdani's 18 percent. Mamdani, a democratic socialist state lawmaker, has tapped deeper into the well of far-lefty support than any citywide candidate in recent memory. He's out-raised, out-polled and out-TikToked his rivals. And he's beating Lander in his own Park Slope backyard, 30 percent to 24 percent, per Uber's poll. Cuomo came in third with 19 percent, and no one else broke double digits. Nevertheless, last week's Marist poll shows what Mamdani's rivals have long privately whispered — he appears to be hitting his ceiling, and it's too low to bypass Cuomo. He and his supporters in the Democratic Socialists of America have yet to proactively embrace a ranked-choice strategy. 'There is a lot of appetite in the organization to educate people about ranked-choice voting and also ensuring that people are filling out their ballot(s) to block Cuomo. I think where it becomes complicated is that we are so committed to Zohran and we've been campaigning so hard for him,' DSA's Michael Whitesides said, following a closed-press forum to discuss the relatively new voting system. 'American politics is so used to this first past the post. My guy or no guy.' Asked about the campaign's strategy to defeat Cuomo, a Mamdani spokesperson highlighted his robust door-knocking operation — more than 20,000 volunteers having knocked at least 500,000 doors across the city so far. 'Coupled with an aggressive paid media plan fueled by millions of dollars in matching funds and a relentless focus on an economic message to address the cost of living crisis — an agenda that poll after poll finds to be overwhelmingly popular — we are confident we can overcome Andrew Cuomo's MAGA billionaires and win a city working families can afford,' the spokesperson said. Lander's team saw hope in Marist's poll, which found him ending the race in third place with 18 percent, after starting in fourth place at 10 percent. 'This poll shows Brad is one of two challengers positioned to beat Andrew Cuomo and end the corruption and chaos of Adams-Trump,' campaign manager Alison Hirsh said in a statement. 'And it shows that Brad benefits more than any other candidate by ranked-choice voting, because he is the one candidate who can unify all parts of our city.' 'While Andrew Cuomo has had millions of dollars of potentially illegal ads boosting him on TV through his super PAC, his numbers have failed to improve,' Hirsh added, referring to the Campaign Finance Board's decision to withhold over $600,000 from Cuomo because of potential coordination with a PAC backing him. Cuomo spokesperson Rich Azzopardi said the campaign 'has operated in full compliance with the campaign finance laws and rules' and is confident Cuomo will receive full public matching funds. The conundrum for Lander, of course, is that he's been suppressed by Mamdani and risks angering the younger lawmaker's loyal supporters by attacking him on the trail. Adrienne Adams' team was also bullish on the Marist poll, which found her starting the race in third place at 11 percent, even as she has yet to qualify for matching funds that are all but essential to win a citywide race. 'There's a clear reason why support for Adrienne has doubled without burning through millions of dollars — New Yorkers finally see a candidate in it for us,' senior advisor Missayr Boker said in a statement. A gospel singer who regularly attends church in the high-turnout area of Southeast Queens, Adrienne Adams is hoping to undermine Cuomo's substantial lead with Black Democrats — a difficult task with low name recognition and inadequate funds. She has been campaigning alongside Attorney General Letitia James and released a digital video Friday showcasing her large family and New York roots. She's also been saying she is running for the collective good — a thinly veiled attack on Cuomo, whom she's implying is in the race for personal redemption. Stringer, who routinely polls in the single digits, has been holding tight to his cash until the end — hoping to make a final push on TV and banking on his high name recognition in his political home base of Manhattan's Upper West Side, where turnout remains high. Stringer has managed to sidestep any mention of the sexual harassment scandal that ruined his chances in the 2021 mayor's race — accusations he denies — but he has yet to catch fire with voters or endorsers. He's hoping to win over the United Federation of Teachers, which seems to like Cuomo, and the New York Post editorial board, which does not, according to someone on his team who would speak only on the condition of anonymity. 'This is a concerted effort to go late,' the person said. 'He has been confident that we should go late with the ads, be lean and mean. From the get go, he's had a theory that people tune in late.' The theory on Myrie scoring a long-shot victory is putting out a slew of policy proposals his team believes will eventually resonate. 'New Yorkers are coalescing around Zellnor's bold vision to deliver 1 million homes, provide Afterschool for All and full-day pre-K and 3-K,' Olivia Lapeyrolerie, his spokesperson, said in a statement. 'That's why he has support from all 51 city council districts and community boards. With matching funds in the bank since March and ads launching earlier this month, Zellnor has the pieces in place to win this race.' Myrie entered the race with promise but has yet to crack double digits in the polls. Cuomo is still considered beatable — but the window is closing, said Democratic strategist Trip Yang, who is not affiliated with any campaign. 'If they can successfully attack Cuomo's record, there's the potential for his numbers to go down,' he said. 'However, if the candidates spend most of their time introducing themselves, which is a rational strategy because of their low name ID, the likelihood is Cuomo wins.' — Nick Reisman contributed reporting.
Politico
19-03-2025
- Business
- Politico
Cuomo's contributions
With help from Cris Seda Chabrier Andrew Cuomo's political resurrection hinges on scooping up small dollar donations — a new trick the 67-year-old former governor is just beginning to learn. Cuomo's mayoral campaign reported Monday that it's raised more than $1.5 million since his late entrance into the race. Of the 2,704 donors, 427 gave the max $2,100. Cuomo World past and present was well represented: Melissa DeRosa, Ben Lawsky, Linda Lacewell and Jeremy Creelan were among the contributors. Family members also helped fill out the Cuomo contributors' ranks. Finding more small dollar donors to sustain his campaign from people who don't share his last name or have worked for him is the next challenge. Cuomo thrived in the world of big dollar contributions, and his gubernatorial campaigns set fundraising records bolstered by large checks from some of New York's wealthiest residents. Some of those rich benefactors have migrated to the super PAC run by Cuomo confidant Steve Cohen. Fix The City has taken in cash from GOP megadonor Ken Langone and the investment firm run by Anthony Scaramucci. Cuomo's left-leaning critics were always skeptical the then-governor truly wanted to sacrifice his big donors for a state-level public financing system, which he eventually approved and is now phased in after a long process. Yet Team Cuomo is confident he'll be able to keep up the pace of donations since entering the race this month — and is placing a lot of trust in his longtime fundraiser, Jen Bayer Michaels. They are equally sure Cuomo's deep rolodex and breakneck fundraising schedule will be more than enough. The main anti-Cuomo super PAC, New Yorkers for Better Leadership, is yet to report any donations. The group also is yet to reach the $1,000 spending threshold to trigger reporting requirements and may be holding off until later in the race. 'We feel solid on our fundraising,' said Lauren Hitt, a spokesperson for the PAC who added the group plans to cast a negative light on the former governor's record. One Cuomo rival — Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani — has a secret sauce for thriving in the small-donor system, employing a strategy in stark contrast to the former governor's controlled events. Mamdani is cutting slickly produced (and short) videos for the web. And the democratic socialist's campaign is pinpointing viral moments, like his Albany confrontation with Trump administration border czar Tom Homan. Mamdani wasn't upset when Fox News picked up that story. 'You break out of a bubble by going beyond the typical mediums where people consume politics and to where people are,' Mamdani told Playbook of his strategy. 'It's been an incredible tool for our campaign to speak to voters directly without an intermediary.' The Cuomo camp has long insisted social media isn't a reflection of real life and what works for Mamdani likely couldn't be reproduced by a candidate with a household name. But the former governor — who came of age working on his father's campaigns in the 1980s — is grasping the impact of platforms like X and Instagram in a fractious media environment. It's no mistake his first interview since joining the race was on Stephen A. Smith's podcast. Neither is the consistency of his social media messaging. Each post includes this tag: 'Contribute to our campaign.' — Nick Reisman IT'S WEDNESDAY: Got news? Send it our way: Jeff Coltin, Emily Ngo and Nick Reisman. WHERE'S KATHY? In Albany, updating New Yorkers on the statewide response to measles. WHERE'S ERIC? In New York City, being interviewed on Good Music, Good Times LIVE's 'The Reset Talk Show,' leading a community conversation on mental illness, speaking at Ridgewood Kiwanis 3-2-1 Club's St. Joseph's and St. Patrick's Day Celebration, and hosting 'Talk with Eric: A Community Conversation.' QUOTE OF THE DAY: 'This is getting out of hand.' — New York City Council Member Chi Ossé on X, spotlighting state Sen. Zellnor Myrie's 'reheating my nachos' post a day after Ossé had posted 'every NY politician reheating my nachos atp,' a reference to cribbed content. ABOVE THE FOLD BEING CONFIDENT: Chuck Schumer's colleagues are facing a central question amid the fallout of his government-funding vote with Republicans: Do you have confidence in the Senate minority leader? The answer Tuesday from Hakeem Jeffries and Nancy Pelosi, two of the most prominent House Democrats, was the same. 'I do,' both the minority leader and former speaker said, answering reporters' questions at separate Medicaid Day of Action events in Brooklyn and California. It was more of a lifeline than they provided Schumer on Friday after he led nine other Senate Democrats to back the GOP's seven-month spending patch in a move that has angered the Democratic base. Perhaps underscoring the residual resentment, Pelosi (D-Calif.) also told reporters Tuesday, 'I myself don't give away anything for nothing.' The progressive group Our Revolution said Tuesday that 89 percent of its members want Schumer's resignation as Senate minority leader. That came after another liberal group, Indivisible, announced 82 percent of its leaders in New York and 91 percent of its leaders nationwide want Schumer to give up his post. The backlash isn't limited to the left. Moderates have protested or criticized the veteran elected official as well. Schumer has been explaining his decision in TV news interviews as he promotes his new book on antisemitism. 'I felt the very people who were upset now, if we went through with the shutdown … would be coming two, three weeks later and saying, 'Get it open, Get SNAP open, get mass transit open,'' he told MSNBC on Tuesday night. 'I'd say, 'Well, it's a shutdown. We can't.' They'd say, 'Well, why'd you let that happen?'' He sought to allay Democratic voters' concerns, saying he and Jeffries have a longer-term strategy to fight President Donald Trump. Schumer fielded the confidence question directly on ABC's 'The View': Do you believe the Democratic Party has confidence you can continue to serve as its leader? 'As for the Senate caucus of which I'm the leader, I should be the leader,' he said. 'And let me just say this, one of the things I am known to be very good at is how to win Senate seats.' — Emily Ngo CITY HALL: THE LATEST LAST BUT NOT LEAST: Adrienne Adams' mayoral campaign staff includes a former top Cuomo aide and some de Blasio veterans too, the city council speaker's team told Playbook. Matt Wing is consulting the city council speaker on communications after advising Kathryn Garcia's 2021 mayoral campaign. Wing worked as Cuomo's press secretary and communications director from 2011 to 2014. His ex-wife Melissa DeRosa was a top Cuomo aide too and is working closely with the ex-governor's mayoral campaign. Lupe Todd-Medina of Effective Media Strategies — who worked on Ray McGuire's 2021 campaign and is a longtime ally of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries — is serving as a spokesperson. Deliver Strategies will also be working on communications. Berger Hirschberg Strategies, which worked on Garcia 2021 and also fundraised for Cuomo, is now leading Adrienne Adams' fundraising, and SB Digital is leading digital fundraising and strategies. A longtime consultant for the council speaker, Tyquana Henderson-Rivers of Connective Strategies, is advising the campaign and leading its field and political operations, along with fellow McGuire campaign vet Rasheida Smith of Dunton Consulting. De Blasio's pollster for his winning 2013 run, Anna Greenberg of GQR, has been hired to do polling, and the Léandre Massena & Vessup law firm will do her compliance and election law work. — Jeff Coltin IF THERE'S A WILLS THERE A WAY: Cuomo isn't the only one making a comeback attempt — former City Council Member Ruben Wills is running to win back the Southeast Queens seat he was booted from in 2017 after getting convicted of using government funds for personal purchases. Wills' case was reversed on appeal, and he has sued alleging malicious prosecution, Playbook reported in September. 'The comeback is always stronger than the setback,' Wills told Playbook after he registered a campaign committee on March 3. His district needs 'a calm, skilled hand in government,' he added. 'Our community hasn't been getting what they deserve.' Wills challenged Council Speaker Adrienne Adams' reelection in 2021 and lost big. Now he'll face off against a crowded field including Ty Hankerson, Romeo Hitlall and Japneet Singh. Former City Council members Anthony Weiner, Andy King and Hiram Monserrate are also looking to reenter the council after scandals. Former City Council Member-turned Adams aide Fernando Cabrera is trying to win back his West Bronx seat, and state Sen. Simcha Felder has his sights on his old Brooklyn council seat in the special election to replace now-Assemblymember Kalman Yeger. — Jeff Coltin More from the city: — Mayor Eric Adams has extended a remote work pilot program for some city workers. (NY1) — The mayor sharply criticized legislation passed by the City Council that would give hundreds of thousands of small homeowners free trash bins. (Gothamist) — Council Member Shahana Hanif's supporters are pushing her Democratic primary opponent Maya Kornberg to return donations from Republican megadonors. (City & State) NEW FROM PLANET ALBANY TALKING TRUMP: Hochul's second meeting this year with President Trump involved yet another pitch for keeping the congestion pricing toll program in place — and Penn Station is part of her argument. Rehabbing the shabby train station (a project with federal funding) comes as Hochul is also trying to convince Trump on the merits of the congestion program. She told reporters Tuesday there's overlap between the two efforts. 'I think there's a lot of common interest there,' she said. 'Let's get it done.' — Nick Reisman SUPPORTING SCHUMER: Hochul is also sticking up for Schumer after he stoked the left's anger over the GOP spending bill, telling reporters Tuesday the Brooklynite has delivered for the state. 'We've been very fortunate to have (someone) in that extremely powerful position to be able to deliver,' she said at an unrelated event in Albany. 'I don't want to lose that clout. I think he's been delivering for New York.' She added it's 'fair game' to have a disagreement over strategy when dealing with the Trump administration. But the governor's comments were fulsome in their support for Schumer, who has been blasted by the Democratic Party's left flank after he voted for a Republican bill to prevent a government shutdown. Hochul's statement was in stark contrast to the initially clipped public responses from House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. As POLITICO reported, Schumer and Jeffries later reaffirmed mutual support for each other. — Nick Reisman More from Albany: — A state judge upheld New York's law limiting outside income for state lawmakers. (Times Union) — The corrections officers' wildcat strikes were a departure from the consensus over job actions by public workers. (POLITICO Pro) — New York's top court rejected a lawsuit filed under the landmark Child Victims Act. (Newsday) KEEPING UP WITH THE DELEGATION TOWN HALL SZN: Hudson Valley Reps. Pat Ryan and Mike Lawler are hosting town halls tonight in their respective battleground districts amid widespread anxiety over potential cuts to health care and other benefits. Ryan, a Democrat, is holding an in-person event. Lawler, a Republican, is running his event remotely, though he told Playbook he still plans to hold in-person gatherings as scheduled throughout the spring. Both are second-term House members, but Lawler has long been considered a top prize for Democrats to unseat. Town halls have become fraught venues. Some congressional Republicans across the country have faced angry constituents with Medicaid and other programs facing cuts, which the GOP portrays as targeting waste but Democrats blast as hurting the working class. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has said tele-town halls are a good way to hear out constituents while minimizing confrontations. — Emily Ngo More from Congress: — Former Democratic nominee for vice president Tim Walz took a jab at Schumer over his decision to avert a government shutdown. (POLITICO) — Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker criticized Schumer and declined to say whether he should continue leading Senate Democrats. (POLITICO) — Democratic strategist James Carville said Schumer's vote might turn out to be 'a wiser decision than people think.' (The Hill) NEW YORK STATE OF MIND — New York school administrators are not on board with Hochul's proposed phone ban. (Gothamist) — Lefty pols ripped CUNY for pulling a job posting for a 'Palestinian Studies' professor. (New York Post) — Efforts by New York Democrats to curb plastic use could change how cheese is packaged. (LoHud) SOCIAL DATA IN MEMORIAM: David Diaz, longtime NYC reporter who worked at NBC 4 and CBS 2, dead at 82: 'Charming, charming man' (New York Post) WELCOME TO THE WORLD: Jeremy Tillunger, principal for public policy at Via Transportation and a Carlina Rivera alum, and Newlin Tillunger, North American marketing manager at WE-EF Lighting, welcomed Gwen Clara Tillunger on March 11. MAKING MOVES: Alexa Miller has joined Kasirer as an associate on the nonprofit team. She was previously a junior associate at Mercury and interned at Kasirer … Rep. Mike Lawler announced a series of staff changes, including Nate Soule's promotion to chief of staff and the hire of former NRCC field director Ava Verzani as director of operations and scheduler … Manhattan Institute comms director Nora Kenney is leaving to join MAHA influencer Calley Means' new organization End Chronic Disease as communications director. MEDIAWATCH: MSNBC has named Robert Zeliger as the new EP of 'The Weekend' and Joy Fowlin as the new EP of 'The Weekend: Primetime.' Zeliger most recently was a senior managing producer for 'The ReidOut.' Fowlin most recently has been EP of 'José Díaz-Balart Reports.' HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson … NYC Council Member Lincoln Restler … Assembly Member Stacey Pheffer Amato … Linda Sarsour … Sal Arena … DoorDash's Kassandra Perez-Desir … Waste Management's Aycan Kaptaner … GrandRap's Michael Rapfogel … Kim Winston of the Mayor's Office of Climate & Environmental Justice … NYHPA's Ashley Stuart … Hodes & Landy's Ginger Lynch Landy. Missed Tuesday's New York Playbook PM? We forgive you. Read it here.
