Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo staying in NYC mayoral race as an independent, sources say
Cuomo is keeping a close eye on polling numbers, however, and has a proposal for his challengers.
Cuomo to propose pledge for independent candidates, sources say
The day after Cuomo lost the Democratic mayoral primary to 33-year-old Queens Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani by 12 points, Cuomo told political reporter Marcia Kramer he was still weighing a run on the independent ticket.
"I'm getting deluged with phone calls from people who are concerned the city is at a delicate tipping point," he said on June 25.
Sunday night, Cuomo's team only said this in a statement: "They'll [sic] be an official announcement soon."
But sources tell CBS News New York that announcement will say Cuomo will run as an independent, but with a pitch to other independent challengers: to agree to a pledge that whoever isn't leading in the polls by mid-September should drop out, including himself.
"It's a reasonable compromise. He's trying to appear diplomatic. He does have the edge. Why? He raised an extraordinary amount of money for the June primary," political consultant Hank Sheinkopf said. "Didn't work out well for him, he was clubbed. So the question is what happens next?"
Mamdani would win with more than one independent running, expert says
The most recent Slingshot Strategies poll shows Mamdani, a Democratic Socialist, leading a crowded general election field with 35%, followed by Cuomo in second with 25%, Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa in third at 14% and incumbent Mayor Eric Adams in fourth with 11%.
Sheinkopf says if there is more than one independent on the ticket, the math favors Mamdani.
"If everybody's in the race, one thing is sure - Mamdani wins, and the Democratic party as we know it will be run, in New York City at least, by a socialist," Sheinkopf said.
Sunday night, Adams fired back in a statement, accusing Cuomo of wasting time and dividing voters.
"The people spoke loudly - he lost. Yet he continues to put himself over the number one goal - beating Namdani and securing our city['s] future," he wrote.
Meanwhile, Mamdani's team responded, saying, "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. That's the choice this November."
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 4.
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