Latest news with #non-Mamdani
CNBC
3 days ago
- Politics
- CNBC
Andrew Cuomo launches independent New York City mayoral bid after loss to Zohran Mamdani
Andrew Cuomo launched an independent bid to become mayor of New York City on Monday, setting up a rematch in November with frontrunner Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee. Cuomo promised an overhaul of his failed primary campaign against Mamdani, a 33-year-old state assemblyman and self-described democratic socialist. But he also vowed to drop out of the race in September if another candidate looked to have a better shot at defeating Mamdani. "Unless you've been living under a rock, you probably know that the Democratic primary did not go the way I had hoped," Cuomo said in a video posted on social media. The 67-year-old — who resigned as New York governor in 2021 after a series of sexual harassment allegations — finished a distant second to Mamdani in June. "I am truly sorry that I let you down," Cuomo told his supporters in the video. "But as my grandfather used to say, when you get knocked down, learn the lesson and pick yourself back up and get in the game, and that is what I'm going to do," he said. "The general election is in November, and I am in it to win it." Despite receiving a tepid reception from national Democratic leaders and power brokers wary of his leftist views, Mamdani is widely viewed as the candidate to beat in the race for mayor of the heavily Democratic metropolis. Recent polls show Cuomo trailing Mamdani. Mayor Eric Adams, who won his office as a Democrat but is seeking re-election as an independent, lags far behind in those polls, as does Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa, and Jim Walden, who is also running as an independent. Adams saw his already-low public approval ratings fall as he faced prosecution on criminal corruption charges. They sank even lower when the U.S. Department of Justice controversially asked a judge to dismiss the case so that the mayor could cooperate with the enforcement of President Donald Trump's immigration policies. Cuomo's Monday campaign rollout featured an unusual proposal: that the rest of the field pledge to consolidate around the strongest non-Mamdani contender before Election Day. "Our common goal must be to run the strongest candidate against Mr. Mamdani," Cuomo said in an email to supporters. "That is why I have accepted the proposal put forth by former Governor David Paterson and candidate Jim Walden that, in mid-September, we will determine which candidate is strongest against Mamdani and all other candidates will stand down, rather than act as spoilers and guarantee Mamdani's election." Cuomo noted that just 13% of the city's voters cast ballots in the Democratic primary, suggesting that Mamdani will face a tougher time in the general election. "All of us who love New York City must be united in running the strongest possible candidate against Zohran Mamdani in the November general election for mayor," Cuomo said.
Politico
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Politico
Game of chicken: Eric Adams, Cuomo want each other out of NYC mayoral race
'I think he really should do an analysis and say: Give Eric an opportunity to run against [Zohran],' Adams said during an interview on CNBC's Squawk Box. The mayor also revealed Cuomo had called him to ask the same thing. 'I'm the sitting mayor of the City of New York, and you expect for me to step aside when you just lost to Zohran by 12 points?' Adams asked in the CNBC interview, citing the nearly $30 million in outside spending on behalf of Cuomo by super PACs and the candidate's own warchest. 'They heard your message. You lost … that's the highest level of arrogance,' he added, accusing Cuomo of having a long history of undermining Black candidates, including former Gov. David Paterson, former state Comptroller H. Carl McCall and Charlie King. (Paterson and McCall endorsed Cuomo's mayoral run earlier this year and King has been a key player in Cuomo's campaign.) The inclusion of Cuomo and Adams on independent lines on the November ballot is making the general election more competitive than any in recent memory. Attorney Jim Walden is also running on an independent line, while Curtis Sliwa is running under the Republican banner. Last week, Walden proposed an independent survey to determine which of the four candidates would be best suited to stop Mamdani. He argued the weaker candidates should then pledge to support the strongest challenger, even though it is too late for anyone to remove their names from the ballot. On Monday, Cuomo's team acknowledged the tough math facing the pack of moderates and the GOP candidate: On their current trajectories, they are set to carve up the non-Mamdani vote into several inconsequential pieces. Cuomo and Adams in particular stand to split their shared base of Black voters. Cuomo spokesperson Rich Azzopardi reiterated his team's belief that Adams does not have a path, but said his candidate is considering Walden's pitch.
New York Post
27-06-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Drop out of the mayor's race NOW, Andrew Cuomo!
Andrew Cuomo lost big Tuesday night, but may still do New York City the huge disservice of staying on the November ballot as an independent — and so increase the chances that Zohran Mamdani becomes the next mayor. He can still legally drop out today, Friday June 27; otherwise, even if he doesn't campaign at all, he'll still draw some votes that should go to a non-Mamdani candidate who can win. Staying in would be the height of egotistical arrogance, but this is Andrew Cuomo we're talking about: As long as it serves his bitter, twisted and vengeful needs, he probably doesn't care about the consequences for the people of this city. Of course, that attitude explains his historic collapse despite a huge lead in the polls just weeks ago, and a ginormous $25 million in donations for 'independent' pro-Cuomo spending: Democratic voters are sick of him. And the same will prove true of non-Democrats if he persists: Whatever lead there might seem to be there in polling now (especially in polls pushed by consultants who'd profit if he stays in) is mere name recognition. Why would moderates and conservatives rally behind him? They know Cuomo helped inflict 'criminal justice reform' on New York, feeding crime and disorder in the city; he made it harder to get mentally ill homeless into treatment; he gave us the botched legalization of pot, soaring electric bills, tighter rent laws that slam small landlords, the subway Summer of Hell and 'congestion' tolls — not to mention his literally deadly 'leadership' during COVID. Yet he's plainly still in denial: 'I'm looking at the numbers from last night. I want to get an idea of what the general election looks like and what landscape looks like, and what the issues are, and then make the decision,' he arrogantly told The Post on Wednesday. Huh? After his tired run in the primary, Cuomo is a dead man walking even in the eyes his big-money donors, who are looking to shift their support to Mayor Eric Adams or some late-entry independent. By staying on the ballot in what's then at least a four-man race, Andrew Cuomo only makes it easier for Mamdani to sneak to victory with as little as 30% of the vote — meaning he needs only his hard-left base, plus those who'll always vote for the Democratic line and a handful more New Yorkers he can charm into his camp. Andrew Cuomo made New York less affordable, less safe and less livable: He's already proved he's the perfect foil for Mamdani. Yet — in some faint hope of somehow winning redemption and a platform he imagines could let him seek the White House — Cuomo stands poised to to help elect a democratic socialist who'd make all the city's problems even worse. For a few more hours, he can still serve the people of New York by setting aside his ego and removing his name from the November ballot. He has until 5 pm today to inform the city Board of Elections. The clock's ticking, Andrew: Let your final move in politics be doing the right thing.
