Cuomo restarts mayoral bid after primary loss

Former Governor Andrew Cuomo is staying in the race for mayor after his primary loss to Queens Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani. Screenshot via Cuomo/X

By Ryan Schwach

Former Governor Andrew Cuomo re-kicked off his campaign for mayor on Monday, breaking his month-long silence after being handily defeated in the primary election last month.

In a video message sent out via social media, the Queens-born Cuomo said he is “in it to win it,” as he gets back into campaigning this summer for another shot at the mayoralty after losing to Queens Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani by 12 points in June’s Democratic primary. As long-rumored, Cuomo will run on an independent ballot line against Mamdani, fellow independent candidates Mayor Eric Adams and Jim Walden, and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa.

“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 his video announcement. “The fight to save our city isn't over. Only 13 percent of New Yorkers voted in the June primary. The general election is in November, and I am in it to win it. My opponent, Mr. [Mamdani], offers slick slogans, but no real solutions.”

Cuomo appeared to address a few of the biggest criticisms lofted at his campaign following his primary defeat – his Rose Garden campaign and his lack of policy focus.

He vowed that he’d be “hitting the streets” in the next few months and said that his campaign was focused on economic issues, like the ones championed by Mamdani.

But what exactly may be different about Cuomo’s general election campaign remains to be seen.

Cuomo’s spokesperson, Rich Azzopardi, did not answer the Eagle’s questions regarding whether or not the Cuomo campaign is taking on any new employees or what might be different about his resurrected bid for Gracie Mansion.

Cuomo’s campaign was first reported over the weekend and included a detail not addressed by the former governor in his reintroduced campaign video. Cuomo said that his entrance into the race came with the promise that he would drop out in the final weeks of the race if he were not leading in the polls at that time. The pitch was first made by Walden, who suggested a poll be conducted in September to determine the most viable candidate against Mamdani.

However, other than Walden and Cuomo, no one else is really buying in.

“Andrew Cuomo lost the Democratic primary by double digits and is now doing the same thing he did to respected leaders like Charlie King, Governor David Paterson, and Carl McCall, Assembly[member] Keith Wright - FORCE A BLACK ELECTED OUT OF OFFICE,” Adams said in a statement over the weekend. “This kind of political double-dealing is exactly why so many New Yorkers have lost trust in him. The people spoke loudly — he lost. Yet he continues to put himself over the number one goal - beating Mamdani and securing our city's future.”

“Cuomo is wasting time and dividing voters,” he added.

Sliwa has also emphatically declined to drop out of the race.

"Andrew Cuomo lost his primary and hides in the Hamptons, Eric Adams skipped his and fled to Fort Lauderdale, now they’re both running as independents to cling to relevance,” Sliwa said. “While they play musical chairs on a sinking ship, I’m out campaigning in NYC, listening, leading, and fighting to win it for the people. Let the voters decide this November.”

Mamdani’s campaign also criticized Cuomo and Adams’ attempts to garner support ahead of the summer campaign season.

“While Andrew Cuomo and Eric Adams are tripping over themselves to cut backroom deals with billionaires and Republicans, Zohran Mamdani is focused on making this city more affordable for New Yorkers,” a campaign spokesperson said. “That’s the choice this November.”

Cuomo’s announcement comes as several new polls show him lagging behind Mamdani in the race for the mayor’s office.

Two of the three recent polls have Mamdani far ahead, with Cuomo coming in a distant second.

Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani will officially face off again against Andrew Cuomo after the former governor announced he’d be running in the general election for mayor on an independent ballot line on Monday. AP file photo by Richard Drew

A poll last week by Slingshot Strategies, has the 33-year-old ahead with 35 percent of the vote, followed by Cuomo with 25 percent, Sliwa with 14 points and Adams with 11 percent.

Around 13 percent of respondents said they were undecided.

A poll released Monday by progressive firm Data for Progress showed Mamdani leading the race with 40 percent of polled individuals marking him as their top choice for mayor. Cuomo polled in second with 24 percent and Adams came in third with 15 percent. Sliwa polled at 14 percent while Walden polled last with one percent.

Since winning the primary in June, Mamdani has begun to grow the coalition that led him to victory, garnering endorsements from labor unions like the United Federation of Teachers and moderate electeds like Congressman Adriano Espaillat, who endorsed Cuomo in the primary.

Adams has maintained some support among Black leaders and faith leaders, the demographic that fueled his victory in 2021, but has not pulled in much additional support as of late.

He did, however, receive a muted endorsement from Queens Councilmember Jim Gennaro last week, who said in a Facebook post that Cuomo had been “completely discredited” and that Sliwa “cannot win and has no ability to govern and assemble an administration.”

“Serving as a City Council Member in City Hall with Mayor Adams has NOT been easy – he and I disagree about many issues, and I believe he's made a lot of mistakes, but he's infinitely better than Mamdani, in my opinion,” the councilmember posted.

Sliwa has expectedly held on to support from New York’s Republicans, including the GOP delegation in the City Council.

“Curtis has shown us who he is, flaws and all,” the Council minority said in a joint statement last week. “He doesn’t pretend to be perfect. What he is, is a fighter. A New Yorker. Someone who loves this city and wants to see it thrive again. Now is the time. Let’s give Curtis the chance to fight for us the way he always has.”

Most of Cuomo’s support from the primary have yet to back another candidate, but many have also not pledged to continue supporting the former governor in the general election.

That includes a host of Queens elected officials like State Senator Joe Addabbo, a one-time Cuomo backer who told Eagle he is “not making any endorsements yet on the general election candidates” last week.

Others, like State Senators Roxanne Persaud and James Sanders, the latter of whom ranked Mamdani second on their ballot, said last week they had not made a decision.

Some have stayed mostly silent, like Congressmember and Queens County Democratic Party Chair Greg Meeks.

“It is an interesting dilemma for Greg Meeks,” political analyst Brian Browne told the Eagle last week. “Adams is an incumbent mayor, he's got Southeast Queens roots, but, but Queens is so diverse politically, it's hard to manage.”

Mamdani told the Eagle earlier this month that he spoke to Meeks after winning the election. Meeks’ office has not responded to requests for comment about the election.