Cuomo, Adams face calls to unite behind 1 NYC mayoral candidate
The calls come as Mamdani consolidates other support for his mayoral bid. He has received newfound endorsements from groups and people who had endorsed Cuomo in the primary, including the Hotel and Gaming Trades Council AFL-CIO and the 32BJ SEIU property service workers union. On Thursday, New York Rep. Adriano Espaillat also endorsed him after having previously endorsed Cuomo.
MORE: Influential Latino leader Espaillat endorses Mamdani in New York mayor's race
Other Democrats have sounded a sharply different tone.
Former New York Gov. David Paterson, in a press conference on Monday, called on mayoral candidates to unite behind one candidate in order to stop Mamdani. He framed Mamdani as "antagonistic" and too inexperienced to run a city as complex as New York.
Paterson -- who supported Cuomo in the primary -- brought up a recent suggestion by independent candidate Jim Walden that an independent poll should be run close to the election, and the candidates that lose in the poll would endorse whoever won and stop campaigning.
MORE: Mamdani's New York mayoral primary win exposes Democratic divide
"What we are really doing is calling on the candidates who are still in the race to find a way to unite behind one of them," he said.
A spokesperson for Cuomo said that the Cuomo campaign would review the poll proposal from Walden, but did not make any commitments.
"Jim proposed a fair independent survey be taken in September to determine whose candidacy and vision for New York is strongest in a one-on-one race in November. Today, Governor David Paterson supported that proposal. While this is unorthodox, these are unusual times. We are at a dangerous moment for our city," spokesperson Rich Azzopardi wrote, adding that their campaign does not see any path to victory for Adams.
Adams did not run in the Democratic mayoral primary and is running in the election as an independent. Cuomo conceded in the Democratic primary, but has qualified for an independent ballot line in the general election. Cuomo has not yet said if he'll actively campaign.
Adams told ABC station WABC-TV on Monday, "I've said that over and over again, over and over again, that -- do the right thing for the people of this city and mobilize around one candidate so we can look at the extreme threat that we're having with Mamdani."
Adams, in an appearance on CNBC on Monday morning, claimed that Cuomo had asked him to step aside from the mayoral race. Asked for comment on Adams' claim, a spokesperson for Cuomo did not deny it, but said the campaign would not discuss private conversations.
Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa will also be on the ballot and has rebuffed calls to withdraw as well.
"Andrew Cuomo couldn't defeat Zohran Mamdani in a primary, and Eric Adams has failed to win the support of either party and is now polling dead last," he said in a statement after Paterson's comments. "I'm running on the issues, and I will beat Mamdani on November 4th. I will bring this city back."
Laura Tamman, a political science professor at Pace University, said it does not look likely any candidate will withdraw, given how candidates such as Adams and Sliwa have indicated strongly that they'll stay in. She said she could predict some scenarios where Cuomo could endorse a different candidate.
"There just aren't really incentives for anyone to get out of the race, because Mamdani looks so certain to win," she told ABC News.
MORE: Zohran Mamdani tells ABC News he plans to win over moderate Dems, other voters after upset win in NYC mayoral primary
It's also unlikely an independent candidate would win anyways, she added, and Mamdani is still the favorite.
"It's not because he's the Democratic nominee, although he is, but because [Mamdani] demonstrated that he has such broad appeal during the primary election campaign, he won over voters from almost every demographic, and there wasn't a clear ideological split … he appealed to moderate Democrats as well as progressive, left Democrats."
Some real estate and business interests in the city have also aligned against Mamdani. Tamman told ABC News that 'there are business interests that think a Mamdani mayoralty will be bad for their pocketbooks, so they have a financial incentive to oppose his candidacy.'
Mamdani has reached out to members of the business community to meet with and hear from them.
One major outside group involved in the race is hedging its bets.
Fix the City, an independent expenditure group that spent more than $14 million supporting Cuomo in the primary, may choose a candidate to support in the general election. A source close to the super PAC said that some donors want Fix the City to support "a free-market candidate with the experience to govern effectively."
"Fix The City is currently assessing the evolving situation and has yet to decide what role it intends to play in the general election," spokesperson Liz Benjamin told ABC News.
Hedge fund manager Bill Ackman, who donated hundreds of thousands to the Fix the City, said earlier this month that he met with both Cuomo and Adams and said he believes Cuomo should step aside to let Adams take on Mamdani.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
18 minutes ago
- New York Post
Dem senator agrees with GOP that Trump's making progress on trade war
Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. John Fetterman admitted that his party had gotten it wrong about President Donald Trump's tariffs, saying that, so far, the U.S. trade war is 'going well.' Asked by Fox News Digital whether he thought the Trump administration was winning the trade war, Fetterman responded, 'Absolutely.' Advertisement 'I'm a huge fan of Bill Maher, and I mean, I think he's really one of the oracles for my party, and he acknowledged it, it's like, hey, he thought that the tariffs were going to tank the economy, and then he acknowledged that it didn't,' said Fetterman. 'So, for me,' he went on, 'it seems like the E.U. thing has been going well, and I guess we'll see how it happens with China.' This comes as Trump is increasing the tariff on Canada from 25% to 35% beginning on Friday, after the U.S. neighbor to the north failed to help curb the imports of fentanyl and other illicit drugs. The White House noted that Trump signed an executive order on Thursday to increase the tariff in an effort to hold Canada accountable for its role in the flow of illicit drugs into the U.S. Advertisement 3 Sen. John Fetterman admitted Democrats are wrong about President Trump's tariffs, claiming that the trade war is 'going well.' AP Additionally, Trump signed another executive order on Thursday to modify the reciprocal tariff rates for some countries to further address the United States' trade deficits. The action reflects Trump's efforts to protect the U.S. from foreign threats to national security and the economy by securing 'fair, balanced and reciprocal trade relationships,' the White House said. Earlier this year, Trump announced an additional 10% tariff on all countries as well as higher tariffs for countries the U.S. has large trade deficits with. Advertisement The tariffs became effective on April 9. Since then, Trump and his team have since made several trade deals with several countries. The U.S. struck a deal with the European Union in which the EU agreed to purchase $750 billion in U.S. energy and make new investments of $600 billion by 2028. The EU also agreed to accept a 15% tariff rate. Advertisement The U.S. also made a deal with Japan, which agreed to invest $550 billion in the U.S. to rebuild and expand core American industries. 3 President Trump has raised the tariff rate on Canada from 25% to 25%. / MEGA Japan also agreed to further its own market to U.S. exports, and like the EU, Japan agreed to a baseline 15% tariff rate. However, many Democrats are digging in their heels against Trump's tariffs strategy, saying the negative effects are still on the horizon. Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., forecast that, despite the increased revenue, 'within a few weeks or months, you'll start seeing significant increases in most things you buy. And also, you will see disruption in terms of a lot of our industries, because they're not able to access product or supply.' 'When you have across-the-board tariffs, it does operate like a national sales tax, and I think people are going to be more and more hurt,' predicted Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md. 'This is the president who said he was going to come in and reduce prices. Prices are going to rise, and they're going to rise more over time,' said Van Hollen. Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren said that 'Donald Trump may beat his chest and say, 'Man, I made him take a 15% tariff or 25% tariff,' but also understand that every one of those trading partners is now looking hard all around the rest of the world to find other customers, because Donald Trump is signaling loud and clear that the United States under Donald Trump is not a reliable trading partner. And that's not good for any of us.' Advertisement Warren also claimed that Trump's tariffs are the reason the Federal Reserve has not lowered U.S. interest rates. 3 Fetterman still remains isolated from his party, taking Trump's side in the trade war, as many Democrats argue that negative effects are still on the horizon. AP 'Jerome Powell said last month that he would have lowered interest rates back in February if it hadn't been for the chaos that Donald Trump was creating over trade. And the consequence has been that American families have, for six months now, been paying more on credit cards, more on car loans, more home mortgages, all because Donald Trump has created chaos,' she said. Meanwhile, Republicans whom Fox News Digital spoke with urged the president to double down on his tariff strategy. Advertisement 'I think it's exactly the right approach. It's what I have been urging the president to do, and I think the successes he's winning are big wins for America,' said Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas. In response to Democrats still predicting economic fallout because of the tariffs, Cruz sarcastically remarked, 'I'm shocked, shocked that Democrats are rooting for the economy to do badly under President Trump.' 'It'd be nice if some Democrats would put their partisan hatred for Trump aside and actually start working together for American workers and American jobs. Unfortunately, I don't see a whole lot of Democrats interested in doing that right now,' said Cruz. Advertisement Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., while agreeing that the tariffs have been successful, voiced that he hopes the goal is to ultimately achieve reciprocal zero percent tariffs between the U.S. and its trade partners. 'Clearly, the president got a good deal from one perspective. The Europeans just caved, they did. Fifteen percent tariffs on them, zero on us, commitment to invest in our country. But the part of the deal I like the most, the E.U. and the president agreed that a whole bunch of goods would be tariff-free. That is, no American tariffs and no E.U. tariffs. It's called reciprocity, and ideal reciprocity is zero on both sides,' he explained. 'That's what I would like us to achieve in all the trade deals,' Kennedy explained. 'Let the free enterprise system work. May the best product at the best price win. That, to me, would be the perfect situation.' Fox News Digital's Greg Wehner contributed to this report.
The Hill
18 minutes ago
- The Hill
Florida GOP, DeSantis may follow Texas's lead
Florida Republicans are increasingly pushing to redraw the state's congressional lines following a similar move by the Texas GOP. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) said Wednesday he is 'very seriously' looking at asking the state Legislature to redraw the state's congressional map, arguing the 2020 census is flawed. Rep. Jimmy Patronis (R-Fla.) came out in favor of redistricting in a post on social platform X, writing that 'Texas can do it, the Free State of Florida can do it 10X better.' Florida Republicans say they were already headed in this direction following a state Supreme Court decision that upheld a congressional map supported by DeSantis and state Republicans. But the plan is gaining even more traction in the wake of Texas Republicans' unveiling of a new congressional map. 'It's picking up steam,' Florida GOP Chair Evan Power told The Hill. 'We were probably heading there with the court decision, but Texas made it top news.' Florida has seen an uptick in population growth following the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. The state has also become solidly Republican over the past decade, with Republicans growing their representation in Congress and once-Democratic strongholds like Miami-Dade and Osceola counties flipping from blue to red. A number of Democratic-held congressional seats could be impacted if redistricting were to take place, including those held in south Florida by Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Jared Moskowitz and Lois Frankel. Rep. Kathy Castor (D) in the Tampa area and Rep. Darren Soto (D) outside of Orlando have also been floated as possible targets. Florida Republicans already hold a 20 to 8 advantage over Democrats in the congressional delegation. Republicans were boosted last month when the state's Supreme Court ruled to uphold a congressional map that blocked a challenge to the elimination of a majority-Black congressional district in the north of the state that previously was represented by former Rep. Al Lawson (D). The area that comprised the former congressional district is now divided among three Republican lawmakers. But DeSantis is not stopping there. The governor has argued that Florida got a 'raw deal' in the 2020 census when the state only gained one congressional seat. The governor said last month he had relayed his concerns to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick after he was sworn in earlier this year and that the Trump administration could be pursuing redoing the census. Additionally, the governor said he believes Florida's Fair District amendments, which a majority of voters approved of in 2010, could conflict with the U.S. Constitution. The amendments say that districts cannot be drawn in a way that hinders minorities voting for their choice of elected representatives. 'There's a lot of people who believe that the Fair District Amendments is unconstitutional, because what it does is, it mandates having race predominate,' DeSantis said this week. 'Whereas, neutrality should really be the constitutional standard.' Patronis also said in his X post that he believes the Fair District Amendments are unconstitutional 'because it violates freedom of speech AND elections are a states rights issue.' 'Time to add more conservatives to Congress, so we can better deliver on President Trump's agenda, finally win the war against woke, cut government waste, and create an economy that moves our country into a new age of prosperity,' Patronis said. Republicans argue that DeSantis and the state's Republicans could be setting an example for other red states to follow. 'DeSantis here sees an opportunity to be a trailblazer for the Republican Party in this sense in that he could be setting up a pilot program that Texas and some of the other states can actually follow,' a Florida Republican strategist said. 'Let's not disillusion ourselves, if he pulls this off, he will be a fan favorite of one person who sits at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue,' the strategist added, referring to Trump. So far, Republicans in the Florida state Legislature have remained publicly quiet about the prospect of pursuing redistricting. This year's state legislative session was extended from 60 days to 105 days and saw tensions emerge between DeSantis and members of his own party. State Rep. Alex Andrade, a vocal Republican critic of DeSantis, said he has not spoken to his colleagues about redistricting. The state lawmaker noted he would support the effort only if the census was redone. 'I get the partisan argument,' Andrade told The Hill. 'I understand we could make hay right now and benefit Republicans but at some point do I care more about my party or the Constitution?' 'If the census were redone, I'd jump all over it,' he said. Florida Democrats warn that a move by DeSantis and the state's Republicans would set a negative precedent. 'It would mean that the governor and the state legislative branch would completely capitulate under Donald Trump,' state House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell (D) said. 'It's not supposed to be that the president gets to act like a king and say 'do this on my behalf.'' In a Facebook video posted by Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.), Soto accused Republicans of wanting to cheat in the election. 'They want to pick their voters rather than voters picking their representatives,' he said. 'You'll see us do whatever we can in the courts to make sure that the Fair Districts Amendments are enforced.' Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spokesperson Madison Andrus dismissed the effort from Florida Republicans as 'a bold-faced attempt to save their flailing midterm performance by rigging the game.' The effort comes as the nationwide redistricting war heats up and both parties seek to gain seats ahead of next year's midterm elections. In addition to Republicans in Texas and potentially Florida taking a look at redistricting, Democrats in states like California and New Jersey are also exploring their options. 'There's an opportunity and if it better reflects the makeup of a state whether that's Texas or Florida, or to Gavin Newsom's point even California, then you should do it,' a national Republican strategist said. 'These redistricting efforts, if they comply with the law and meet all of the various federal thresholds to get mapped through, if you do that and do it quickly, you're going to increase the likelihood that the president and Republicans in Washington and going to be able to keep pushing things forward,' the strategist continued.
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
After The Whole American Eagle Backlash, It's Emerged That Syndey Sweeney Is Indeed A Republican
Sydney Sweeney is a registered Republican. A viral post on X by the user @time222smoke first claimed that the actor was a registered member of the party. According to publicly available voter registration records that BuzzFeed viewed, Sydney has been registered to the Republican Party of Florida since June 2024. The news comes after Sydney faced backlash for her "great jeans" American Eagle ad, in which she said, "Genes are passed down from parent to offspring, often determining traits like eye color, personality, and even hair color. My jeans are blue." Related: White House communications manager Steven Cheung subsequently called criticism that the ad acted as a right-wing signal for whiteness "dense liberal thinking" and 'cancel culture run amok.' Related: Sydney previously faced criticism in 2022 for posting a series of photos from a "surprise hoedown" she'd thrown for her mother's birthday, in which guests wore MAGA-style hats and one was spotted seemingly wearing a "Blue Lives Matter" shirt. In response, Sydney said at the time, "An innocent celebration for my moms milestone 60th birthday has turned into an absurd political statement, which was not the intention. Please stop making assumptions." BuzzFeed has reached out to representatives for Sydney for comment. Also in Celebrity: Also in Celebrity: Also in Celebrity: Solve the daily Crossword
