Andrew Cuomo is running for mayor of New York City, he announced Saturday afternoon, joining a crowded field that includes incumbent Mayor Eric Adams.
Cuomo, who resigned as governor of New York in 2021 after being accused of sexual harassment, began to seriously consider entering the mayor’s race last week, CBS News New York reported.
He is expected to make a public appearance Sunday and rack up some important endorsements.
His supporters had filed paperwork to form a super PAC called “Fix the City,” designed to raise $15 million to boost his anticipated campaign.
Cuomo releases video launching mayoral campaign
Cuomo entered the race with an under-the-radar appearance at the Caridad Restaurant in the Bronx and a video released on his website and social media platforms.
“I want New York to not only survive, but for New York to thrive,” he said in the video.
In a direct address to New Yorkers, he reeled off a litany of problems facing the city – people dealing with mental illness and homelessness, empty storefronts, graffiti, the influx of migrants and random violence.
“These conditions exist not as an act of God, but rather as an act of our political leaders, or more precisely, the lack of intelligent action by many of our political leaders,” Cuomo said.
He reminded voters of his long history of public service that started when he worked for his father, former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo, and included serving as attorney general.
“I know what needs to be done and I know how to do it. Experience matters. Leading New York City in the midst of a crisis is not the time or the place for on-the-job training,” Cuomo said.
The former governor, who racked up a number of accomplishments while in office, from rebuilding LaGuardia Airport and the Moynihan Train Station to legalizing same sex marriage, was also candid about the fact that during his time in public service, he made mistakes.
“Did I always do everything right in my years of government service? Of course not. Would I do some things differently knowing what I know now? Certainly. Did I make mistakes, some painfully? Definitely, and I believe I learned from them and that I am a better person for it and I hope to show you that every day,” Cuomo said.
Why did Andrew Cuomo resign as governor?
Cuomo was first elected governor of New York in 2010. He was reelected twice, serving three terms before stepping down in August 2021 over allegations involving sexual misconduct and his response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cuomo was accused of sexually harassing nearly a dozen women, including some on his staff. An investigation from state Attorney General Letitia James’ office found he created a hostile work environment with offensive, suggestive comments and unwelcome, nonconsensual touching. The investigation centered around claims from 11 different women.
He has denied the allegations — at one point attributing his behavior to his Italian heritage — but he ultimately stepped down in the face of an impeachment investigation. His legal team later sued the attorney general’s office and several of his accusers.
Cuomo’s administration was also accused of lying about the number of people who died in state nursing homes during the early days of the COVID pandemic.
Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images
Cuomo drew national attention with his daily news conferences during the pandemic. While many credited him with taking charge of the situation, he was accused of directing his staff to underreport the number of nursing home deaths by nearly half.
He testified before the Republican-led House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic as recently as last fall, where lawmakers referred him to the Department of Justice for possible prosecution.
Cuomo has repeatedly said the state was following the latest federal guidelines, and his attorney, in turn, referred the subcommittee to the DOJ for allegedly abusing its power.
Many Democrats running for NYC mayor
It’s a crowded field in the race against Adams, who is running for reelection despite calls for him to resign or be removed from office over allegations he agreed to cooperate with President Trump’s immigration agenda in exchange for the Department of Justice ordering his criminal charges to be dropped — a claim the mayor and his attorney deny.
A recent poll conducted by Tusk Strategies showed Cuomo leading the pack of potential Democratic candidates with 38%, followed by Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani with 12%, Adams with 10% and six others in single digits.
Congressman Ritchie Torres, who represents a good portion of the Bronx, endorsed Cuomo, saying, “When it comes to confronting the crisis of crime, we need not a nice guy, but a tough guy like Andrew Cuomo.”
Experts say Cuomo will upend the mayoral race.
“You know, you’re going to see a lot of people now scrambling, either, are they going to get in the race? Are they going to be the anti-Cuomo candidate? And other candidates are going to see their money dry up,” political analyst JC Polanco said. “What do you do when the man at the top of the polls is leading by double digits?”
Expecting his entry, several of Cuomo’s opponents were already on the attack Saturday.
New York City Comptroller Brad Lander issued a video saying, “Andrew Cuomo is not the answer to Eric Adams. We can’t trade one corrupt chaos agent for another.”
“I want to tell you who we’re running against – a guy who cut Medicaid and stole money from the MTA,” Rep. Zohran Mamdani said in a video.
“[Cuomo] sent many of our grandparents to nursing homes during the pandemic to die,” Sen. Jessica Ramos said. “He has continuously sold us out to big real estate, making the city less affordable and harder to live in for working families, and especially for people of color.”
Experts believe Cuomo showing humility and asking for forgiveness is going to go a long way in a primary election.
“Remember, if the goal for anyone trying to beat Cuomo is to coalesce and join to beat X. Remember what President Nixon said – whenever you see a campaign against X, bet on X,” Polanco said.
CBS News New York reached out to Adams’ campaign, but they have so far not issued a response.
Petitioning to gather signatures goes until April 3, and the primary election will be held in June. Early voting starts June 14 and election day will be June 24.
contributed to this report.
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