Latest news with #Cuomo
India Today
15 hours ago
- Business
- India Today
Who can defeat Mamdani? New York business leaders remain unsure
With less than four months to go before the mayoral election, New York City's business elite are facing a political dilemma. As Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani heads into the elections, major players in the city's business community are split on how to block his path to the mayoral leaders feel that either Andrew Cuomo or Mayor Eric Adams needs to drop out for the other to have a chance against surprise Democratic mayoral primary winner Mamdani, news agency Reuters losing to Mamdani in the Democratic Party primary, Cuomo refused to bow out of the NYC mayoral race, setting up a four-way contest with current Mayor Adams and Republican Curtis Sliwa also in the fray. Following Cuomo's announcement that he would stay in the race as an independent after losing to Mamdani, New York-based CEOs have yet to coalesce behind either the former governor or incumbent Adams in their bid to defeat Mamdani, according to business leaders, speaking anonymously, expressed support for Cuomo, while others favoured Adams, a former police captain elected mayor as a Democrat in 2021 but running as an independent this year, due to doubts about the former's chances, the report leaders are taking a wait-and-watch approach, though others believe that could be a bad move, keeping another candidate from gaining momentum, according to the TEAM SLAMS CUOMO FOR RUNNING AS INDEPENDENT IN NEW YORK MAYORAL POLLMamdani's spokesperson, Jeffrey Lerner, criticised Cuomo over his decision to run for New York City mayor as an independent, accusing him of being hand-in-glove with billionaires."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," Lerner told The New York 33-year-old Mamdani won the June 24 primary with 56% of the vote, bolstered by young voters drawn to his social media presence and messaging focused on solving the city's affordability crisis. Polling suggests he would prevail over a fractured field of Cuomo, Adams, and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, but some polls indicate Cuomo would win a head-to-head matchup against Mamdani in heavily Democratic New York, Reuters owners worry that Mamdani's plans – such as rent freezes, fare-free public buses, and government-run grocery stores – could raise taxes for residents and drive investment out of the has also called for a higher minimum wage and a new office to promote small promise to freeze rent resonated particularly in Manhattan, where the median monthly rent for a flat sits at a record $4, flat owners say such a move would make buildings unliveable, Reuters reported last month."A four-year rent freeze all but ensures these buildings completely crumble," said Kenny Burgos, chief executive officer of the New York Apartment Association, which represents several thousand property owners and managers."I sympathise with folks who have an issue with the cost of rent and the lack of affordability, but there's a conversation to be had on policy that doesn't ignore the cost," Reuters quoted Burgos as far, Mamdani has raised about $820,000 (approximately Rs 6.85 crore) since the primary through July 21, according to the city's campaign finance prominent business leaders have publicly come out in support of Mamdani, who has received endorsements from unions that previously backed Cuomo. In recent days, Mamdani met with executives in a meeting organised by the non-profit Partnership for New York City, according to Reuters."He did a pretty good job of making the case that he was open to conversations, discussion and learning, and that he wanted to build a coalition that would represent all New Yorkers," Reuters quoted Kathy Wylde, president and chief executive officer of the group, as saying.- EndsMust Watch
Politico
20 hours ago
- Politics
- Politico
Battle of the Jessicas
Presented by Resorts World New York City With help from Amira McKee New York Minute: Republican Rep. Mike Lawler's campaign teased 'a major announcement' this morning on 'Fox & Friends.' Most GOP officials Playbook spoke to Tuesday night suspect it's a long-anticipated decision on whether he will run for governor or seek reelection. Lawler's governor dreams have been complicated by Rep. Elise Stefanik's own ambitions. QUEENS QUEENS: State Sen. Jessica Ramos shocked the New York political world by endorsing her longtime foe Andrew Cuomo while running for mayor. He didn't endorse her back. But his rejuvenated mayoral campaign is quick to compliment her in the face of a fierce primary challenge from neighboring Assemblymember Jessica González-Rojas. Ramos has 'a real record of delivering — not only for her constituents, but for working New Yorkers as a whole,' Cuomo campaign spokesperson Rich Azzopardi told Playbook. 'She cares about the things that matter, and New York is all the stronger because of it. And I'm sure that's what her constituents are going to consider.' Of course, it's still not an endorsement. 'The cycle hasn't even begun to begin yet,' Azzopardi added. Meanwhile, González-Rojas is gathering star supporters for her state Senate campaign, which she officially launched Tuesday. 'Let's GO @votejgr! We got you,' Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez wrote on X, adding a raised hands emoji. (Ramos and AOC don't talk and don't get along.) City Comptroller Brad Lander, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, Council Members Shekar Krishnan, Tiffany Caban and Shahana Hanif — and many more electeds — joined JGR's Jackson Heights fundraiser Monday night. Assemblywoman Catalina Cruz remarked to attendees that she had been trying to get González-Rojas to challenge Ramos for years, one elected official present told Playbook. JGR's run against Ramos is personal and about unseating an elected official she's found difficult to work with. But it was Zohran Mamdani's mayoral primary win — against both Ramos and Cuomo, among others — that gave her the political push to do it. González-Rojas endorsed Mamdani, who won Ramos' senate district 60-40 over Cuomo in the mayoral primary. Ramos endorsed Cuomo in that race, after sparring with him in the Legislature for years, slamming him as a creep and questioning his mental acuity on the trail. She didn't respond to requests for comment. While she got 0.4 percent in the mayoral primary, she'll be in a much better position if she seeks reelection. She's an incumbent with union allies, thanks in part to her role chairing the Senate's powerful labor committee. She's in bad shape financially, though. Ramos reported just $10,492 in her state campaign account last week, after raising $70,000 and spending $68,000 in the previous six months. (Her biggest expense was $14,000 to polling firm Slingshot Strategies, as she continues to pay for a spring 2024 district survey showing opposition to a casino. The poll was initially covered by an anonymous donor, but Ramos reversed course and said her campaign would pay for it.) Ramos's city account is deeply in debt as well, reporting a negative balance of nearly $126,000. She's in a dispute with another vendor and may see her liabilities increase even more, two people familiar with her finances told Playbook. Mamdani boosters are eager to unseat electeds who backed Cuomo, and this could be a high-profile battle — even if the politics undergirding it are a bit muddled. Both Jessicas are to the left of moderate Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul, and both won the Working Families Party's endorsement in 2024. González-Rojas opted not to respond to Playbook's questions about the key policy differences between the two, or if she plans to highlight Ramos' Cuomo flip-flop on the trail. 'I'm running for State Senate to bring bold, inclusive leadership that delivers real results for our community,' González-Rojas said in a statement. 'In this moment of national crisis, our neighbors deserve a fighter who shows up, listens, and works side by side with them to create lasting change. This campaign is about progress rooted in values — and building a future we all shape together.' — Jason Beeferman and Jeff Coltin IT'S WEDNESDAY: Got news? Send it our way: Jeff Coltin, Emily Ngo and Nick Reisman. WHERE'S KATHY? In New York City, Suffolk County and Erie County making a public safety announcement. WHERE'S ERIC? Schedule not available as of 10 p.m. Tuesday. QUOTE OF THE DAY: 'Are you going to lose more people than you gain by not attacking Trump, by trying to be too cute by half and say: 'I want people to get to know [me] better?' We know you, we know you were governor, we know why you resigned.' — Democratic strategist Basil Smikle on 'Cuomo 2.0's' shift away from Trump, via NBC News. ABOVE THE FOLD TRUMP TEAM SPLIT: Mayor Eric Adams was spared Donald Trump's wrath Tuesday after the president fielded a question on leaders of 'sanctuary' cities. But he didn't escape blame from Trump's deputies, who accused him and his fellow Democrats of fostering the circumstances that led to a federal customs officer being shot Saturday with two undocumented immigrants now in custody for the crime. The president was asked in the Oval Office: 'What is your message to any local leaders who continue to push 'sanctuary' city policies after this nearly tragic incident?' Trump responded without mentioning any New York leaders. He instead slammed advisers to President Joe Biden who allowed '21 million people, probably much more than that' to enter the country, including dangerous and violent offenders. Meanwhile, Department of Homeland Security officials, including Secretary Kristi Noem and Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, have condemned Adams, Gov. Kathy Hochul and the City Council in the wake of the shooting. Adams, a Trump-friendly Democrat, has been critical of New York's policies limiting cooperation between federal immigration agents and local law enforcement officers, all while saying he would follow the laws as mayor. Trump border czar Tom Homan has frequently said he would 'flood the zone' in New York City with Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers. The mayor has stressed the need for a good working relationship with the president and saw his federal fraud charges dismissed at the prompting of Trump's Justice Department. Adams has denied wrongdoing and a quid pro quo. 'People are trying to say what he did was because there was some deal,' the mayor said of himself in an episode of the New York Post Pod Force One released this morning. 'There was never a deal. There was never any conversation that he would do A and I would do B. That did not take place at all.' Adams, a former NYPD captain, visited the federal officer who was shot in the hospital over the weekend. The mayor, who is running for reelection as an independent, slammed 'violent migrant and asylum seekers who are bringing violence and really tarnish the reputation of those who come to this country to pursue the American dream.' — Emily Ngo CITY HALL: THE LATEST AFTER-SCHOOL PUSH AMID ELECTIONS: The city is launching 40 new after-school sites this fall as part of a push to offer elementary and middle schoolers after-school seats, including in areas Adams won during his 2021 mayoral campaign. Thirty seven traditional public schools, as well as three charters, are slated to receive 5,000 new seats for students this September at a cost of $21 million, the mayor announced Tuesday. Those include neighborhoods where Adams cruised in his 2021 mayoral bid, including Harlem, Westchester Square in the Bronx, East New York in Brooklyn and Baisley Park in Queens, per the Atlas election map. It comes as the mayor embarks on a long-shot reelection bid as a political independent. Adams' universal after-school push, which the mayor announced at the end of April, came after several candidates in the Democratic mayoral primary made expanding after-school access a priority. 'New York City can no longer afford to lose working class families who leave the city because of the issue of child care,' Adams said Tuesday. 'Two things we hear all the time when new employees come here: how good are the schools and how safe is the community? We're targeting both of those issues.' — Madina Touré and Amira McKee FINAL RESULTS: Some 1,071,730 New York City Democrats voted in the mayoral primary, according to the final certified Board of Elections results released Tuesday — the most in a mayoral primary since 1989, when 1.08 million Dems cast votes as David Dinkins prevailed. The 32 percent turnout was also the highest since 1989, when nearly half of registered Democrats at the time voted. Mamdani won 43.8 percent of the votes in the first round, and 56.4 percent in the final round of ranked-choice voting — a 12.8 point margin over Cuomo. — Jeff Coltin TALK, TALK, TALK: Public Advocate Jumaane Williams called on Adams to resume his regular 'off-topic Tuesday' briefings with the news media. 'Does he understand that his moves against press freedom are just another way he mimics Donald Trump?' the mayoral foe said in a statement slamming Adams' management of the NYPD. 'The mayor has also already answered every single question Jumaane claims he should be addressing,' Adams spokesperson Kayla Mamelak Altus responded. 'Jumaane should do his homework before putting out ridiculous statements that are nothing more than a sad attempt to cling to relevance.' — Jeff Coltin More from the city: — Calls to strip Mamdani's citizenship have sparked alarm about Trump weaponizing denaturalization. (NBC News) — At least two dead voters had absentee ballots submitted under their names in a tightly contested GOP City Council primary in southern Brooklyn. (New York Post) — Brooklyn developer Tolib Mansurov, who was named last year as one of Adams' alleged straw donors, is planning a 99-unit building in Park Slope. (Crain's New York) NEW FROM PLANET ALBANY EPSTEIN FALLOUT: Democrats are eager to tweak Republicans over the swirling Jeffrey Epstein saga that has engulfed the Trump White House, POLITICO reports. Struggling to find their footing during Trump 2.0, some Democrats believe the controversy surrounding the federal government's investigation of the disgraced financier can provide added fuel for next year's elections. 'Democrats need to take advantage of openings to chip away at the Trump coalition, and the Epstein files present one of the first major opportunities to do so,' Democratic state Sen. James Skoufis told Playbook. 'He's a con man of the highest order, and some of his most fervent supporters are finally beginning to see it.' There is an acknowledgement, though, that Trump's Epstein headache won't be a substitute for issues like Medicaid cuts. Hochul last week said the matter creates a 'trust gap' for Trump's base, but she expects the party will focus on crucial issues like slashed funding for services. Still, state Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal argued that applying pressure on Republicans over Epstein doesn't just turn the tables on the president, but has a shot of winning over Trump voters. 'MAGA thinks the system is rigged on behalf of the wealthy and the powerful,' he said. 'Perhaps this is the wedge that will begin to illuminate to many people in red states and elsewhere that Donald Trump does not have your best interests at heart.' Democratic consultant Morgan Hook cautioned that Democrats shouldn't overpromise — or indulge their base in the same kind of conspiracy theories the hard right has marinated in during the Trump era. 'If you want to use this to drive a wedge between Trump and his supporters, great,' Hook said. 'Don't go and lie to your supporters, too, and say this will take Trump down.' Republican consultant Vince Casale expects bigger issues — like affordability — will be at play, and the Epstein controversy won't be at the forefront of most voters' minds. 'If the Jeffrey Epstein files become an issue that starts to decide congressional races across the country, then the people in this country are a lot better off than they realize,' he said. — Nick Reisman A STORY ABOUT A BRIDGE: New York is scrambling to stop bridge strikes. The Hochul administration on Tuesday rolled out a public service announcement campaign meant to cut down on commercial trucks and large vehicles hitting low-slung spans. State Police will also ramp up enforcement to ensure tall vehicles aren't on roads with low bridges. There were 350 bridge strikes last year. The campaign runs through Saturday. Watch here. — Nick Reisman More from Albany: — Phone calls for people in New York prisons will soon be free. (New York Times) — State policymakers have a draft energy plan that includes reliance on fossil fuels. (POLITICO Pro) — The city of Buffalo is cracking down on illegal cannabis shops. (Buffalo News) KEEPING UP WITH THE DELEGATION GARBARINO'S NEW POST: The 9/11 terrorist attacks helped shape Rep. Andrew Garbarino's view on national security, he said Tuesday after being appointed a night earlier as the next chair of the House Committee on Homeland Security. The Long Island Republican, a close ally of House Speaker Mike Johnson, focused his pitch for the post on his background in cybersecurity policy. 'As a lifelong New Yorker and representative of a district shaped by 9/11, I understand the stakes of this responsibility,' Garbarino said in a statement. ''Never forget' is more than a slogan.' Garbarino listed securing the border, confronting terrorism, strengthening cybersecurity and hardening national defenses as his top priorities. His predecessor, former Rep. Pete King, was a previous homeland security committee chair. His colleagues, including Rep. Mike Lawler and Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, commended the pick after two ballot votes as a 'win for New York.' — Emily Ngo More from Congress: — Democratic leaders Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries met to define their government funding demands, avoiding explicit ultimatums to their GOP counterparts. (POLITICO) — The House grinds to halt before a planned recess to avoid voting on the release of the Epstein files. (Washington Post) — House lawmakers are getting a boost to funds they can use for their own security, including at their homes. (POLITICO) NEW YORK STATE OF MIND — The New York socialist mayor who came 100 years before Mamdani. (TIME) — Etan Patz, the missing boy whose case keeps coming back. (New York Times) — Columbia University disciplines 70 students for protesting as the school pleads with the Trump administration for funding. (Gothamist) SOCIAL DATA MAKING MOVES: Rep. Laura Gillen (D-N.Y.) is staffing up: Hawa Bassett has joined as her district director after working at Tonio Burgos & Associates and the Town of North Hempstead … Travis Nelson is Gillen's new director of outreach and political adviser, previously working for the Assembly and as Long Island political director for the state Democratic party … and Jaden Jules is now Gillen's New York press secretary, after previously working at Dow Jones and Precision Strategies. … Sloane & Company appointed Zack Mukewa, former managing director at LLYC, as principal and head of capital markets and strategic advisory … and Jon Hammond, founder of Hammond Strategies, has joined as principal and head of media, sports, entertainment and technology. HAPPY BIRTHDAY: David Brock … former Rep. John Hall (D-N.Y.) … Newsmax's Jon Glasgow … FGS Global's Craig James and Josh Gross … Edelman's Courtney Gray Haupt … Reuters' Erin Banco … Monica Lewinsky … Lane Greene … Liza Pluto … Katherine Borgerding … Joey Rault … (WAS TUESDAY): David Shuster Missed Tuesday's New York Playbook PM? We forgive you. Read it here.
Newsweek
a day ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
Cuomo and Mamdani Neck-and-Neck in Two-Way NYC Mayoral Race, Poll Shows
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo squeaked out a slight lead over Democratic mayoral primary winner and state Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani in a two-way race, a new poll Tuesday shows. The numbers are still within the margin of error for a statistical tie. Newsweek reached out to Mamdani's campaign via email for comment. Why It Matters The outcome of the New York City mayoral race is seen as a crucial national barometer for Democratic Party dynamics after setbacks in 2024. While the city has historically favored the Democratic nominee in general elections, this year's cycle has seen an unusual level of uncertainty and shifting alliances after Mamdani, a democratic socialist, secured a surprise primary win. Cuomo's resurgence as an independent, along with current New York City Mayor Eric Adams' entry into the field as an independent, highlights a broader realignment and division within the party, fueled by debates over progressive policy proposals and the direction of Democratic leadership in major urban centers. Mamdani's break from establishment norms has yet to garner formal public endorsements from New York's Democratic leaders, reflecting the degree of uncertainty and division within the party. His platform, which proposes measures like free city buses and city-owned grocery stores, marks a distinct departure from prior mayoral campaigns and long-standing party orthodoxies. What To Know In a poll from Wick released on Tuesday, Mamdani was the frontrunner against Cuomo, Adams, and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa. Mamdani received 39 percent of the vote versus Adams' 9 percent, Cuomo's 21 percent, and Sliwa's 19 percent. In a potential two-way race versus Cuomo, Mamdani received 41 percent of the vote compared to Cuomo's 42 percent. In a two-way race versus Adams, Mamdani received 47 percent compared to Adams' 37 percent. Sliwa received 35 percent versus Mamdani's 53 percent in a hypothetical two-way race, the poll shows. The poll surveyed 500 likely voters in New York City's November general election from July 18 to July 20 with a 4.4 percent margin of error. Mamdani also garnered a 44 percent favorability rating compared to Cuomo's 34 percent, Adams' 22 percent, and Sliwa's 36 percent. A recent poll this month also showed Mamdani in a statistical tie with both Cuomo and Sliwa. This combination of pictures created on June 24, 2025, shows New York City mayoral candidate and democratic State Representative Zohran Mamdani (L) in New York City on April 16, 2025, and New York City mayoral... This combination of pictures created on June 24, 2025, shows New York City mayoral candidate and democratic State Representative Zohran Mamdani (L) in New York City on April 16, 2025, and New York City mayoral candidate Andrew Cuomo (R) in New York City on April 13, 2025. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS and CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP) (Photo by ANGELA WEISS,CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images) More What People Are Saying Kevin O'Leary, Shark Tank investor, on X on Monday: "I'm in New York for two days and reached out twice to Zohran Mamdani's team to request a face-to-face meeting. No reply last night. This morning, they said 'no interest.' That's disappointing. If he wants to lead this city, he should be open to hearing from investors. I'm not partisan. I care about policy. And I had real advice on housing, real estate, tech, and economic growth." Sliwa on X this month: "Nobody is more New York than me. Cut my veins and arteries and I bleed this city, every block, every borough. I've spent my life fighting for New Yorkers and I'm not about to let Zohran Mamdani and his communist agenda destroy it. I'll beat him on November 4th and send a clear message to the nation: New York is back." Mamdani on X this month: "More than two thirds of New Yorkers are tenants. Andrew Cuomo compared them to hotel guests. We need a Mayor who will bring our city together around an agenda to lower costs for everyone, whether they rent or own." Cuomo on X ripping Mamdani this month in part: "As Zohran Mamdani attempts to reinvent himself for the general election in an attempt to play New Yorkers for fools, remember what he himself has said in the past. He is a fraud." Cuomo then posted a quote from Mamdani. As Zohran Mamdani attempts to reinvent himself for the general election in an attempt to play New Yorkers for fools, remember what he himself has said in the past. He is a fraud. "I know what someone wants to hear, right? I know what someone wants to hear to laugh. I know… — Andrew Cuomo (@andrewcuomo) July 16, 2025 What Happens Next The general election for New York City mayor is scheduled for November 4, 2025. Polling is expected to intensify in the coming months, with Mamdani, Adams and Cuomo expected to compete vigorously for support among undecided voters and various demographic blocs. The outcome could carry significant implications for the Democratic Party nationally, as party strategists and observers look to New York as a bellwether for the traction of progressive versus moderate agendas in urban contests.
The Hill
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Mamdani won, but ranked-choice voting lost
For many, New York City's recent mayoral primary was a sign of a healthy democracy — New Yorkers showing up, organizing and making their voices heard. It was also seen by many as a validation of ranked-choice voting. With Zohran Mamdani's historic win, there's renewed enthusiasm for ranked choice as a way to elevate consensus candidates, open the door to new political voices and avoid polarizing outcomes. But that is not quite what happened. Dig deeper and the picture gets more complicated. The mayoral race didn't elevate a broadly supported candidate. Instead, it turned into a binary contest between two deeply polarizing figures — Mamdani, a democratic socialist and vocal critic of the Democratic establishment, and Andrew Cuomo, a scandal-plagued former governor who resigned from office just a few years ago. Ranked-choice voting is often pitched as a system that lifts up candidates acceptable to the broadest number of people — not necessarily anyone's first choice, but the one most voters can get behind. In theory, it helps avoid scenarios where deeply unpopular or fringe candidates win because the majority splits its vote. In practice? The Mamdani-Cuomo face-off shows us something very different. You couldn't find two candidates further apart within a political party than Mamdani and Cuomo. Neither really fits the mold of a consensus candidate in a typical Democratic primary, and yet they were the two leading contenders. The race turned into a straightforward binary: Are you for Mamdani or Cuomo? The ranked ballots became secondary to the first-choice battle between two deeply polarizing figures. Ranked-choice voting didn't mitigate polarization. It only masked it. Voters may have technically ranked more than one candidate, but the outcome, and the entire narrative of the race, boiled down to who was ranked first. There is little evidence to suggest that large numbers of voters were thoughtfully ranking across ideological lines. If anything, the illusory promise of cross-ranked camaraderie kept nonviable candidates in the race and prevented consolidation of money, staff and messaging behind alternative candidates to the big two. And we shouldn't forget the real-world challenges of ranked-choice voting implementation, particularly in New York City. Studies showed that in the 2021 mayoral election, ballot errors and incomplete rankings were significantly more common in communities of color. A Politico analysis found that low-income neighborhoods had higher rates of invalid ballots and lower rates of full ballot usage. That's not just a paperwork problem. It's a representation problem. If a voting system makes it harder for certain communities to fully make their voices heard, we should be asking hard questions. None of this is to say ranked-choice voting can't ever be useful. In some places, under certain conditions, it absolutely can help break through toxic partisanship and offer voters more voice and choice. But it's not a plug-and-play solution for every jurisdiction, and it certainly didn't deliver a clean, consensus-building outcome in New York City. Instead, it fueled a head-to-head showdown between two candidates. We should not treat ranked-choice voting like a one-size-fits-all fix for what ails American elections. States and cities considering this system should move very carefully and demand a strategic case-by-case plan that considers the impact of the change in their political geography. Real democracy reform isn't just about changing how votes are counted. It's about whether more communities are truly being heard. That requires tailoring systems to fit local contexts, investing in voter education and implementation, and measuring success by inclusion and trust. Let's not mistake innovation for progress or let trendy electoral reforms make us lose sight of the end goal: true representation and a strong democracy.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump as foil disappears from Andrew Cuomo's rebooted New York mayoral bid
Andrew Cuomo framed himself as President Donald Trump's foil during the Democratic mayoral primary in New York City, adamant that his past record standing up to Trump as governor positioned him as the party's best choice to defend the city during Trump's second term. But as the former governor reboots his campaign for a third-party general election bid, after losing the Democratic primary to state Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, Trump is taking a back seat. In about a half-dozen interviews conducted in his first few days as a general election candidate, Cuomo has hardly referenced Trump, pivoting questions about the president back to the race at hand. Instead, Cuomo and his campaign are framing him as more concerned about policy and campaigning across New York City — after criticism that his primary campaign was too closed off to the media and that his opponent drew his strength from meeting voters where they are, both physically and on key issues like affordability. With 16 weeks to go until Election Day, Cuomo is making it clear he wants to run this race differently. Cuomo framed the Trump presidency as a unique threat to New York City's well-being during the Democratic primary, with his campaign describing the president as 'at the city gates' in a campaign ad that highlighted Trump's decision to call National Guard troops into California. He had gone on to say that 'we need someone experienced to slam them shut.' Addressing a crowd at the National Action Network, a group helped by civil rights activists and MSNBC host Rev. Al Sharpton, weeks before the election, Cuomo hit Trump at the top of his remarks as an 'existential threat' who is 'worse than he was in his first term,' taking personal credit for Trump never sending federal troops to the city in 2020. That message was typical of one of the key points Cuomo hit on the stump and in debates. Then, when Cuomo announced plans to run in the general election with a social media video last week, Trump didn't receive a direct mention. A promise to 'take on anyone who stands in the way' of the city's prosperity could have been a reference to the president, but it could have also been a veiled attack on his general election rivals. Trump virtually never came up in the high-profile media interviews Cuomo did in the past week. When reporters referenced Trump's recent comments about the race (he said Cuomo should 'stay in' because he has a 'good shot' at winning), Cuomo used the comments to criticize his mayoral opponents, with a brief wave at the anti-Trump message he put at the center of the campaign during the primary. 'We have a long history together, the president and myself, we have a lot of back and forth. I fight for New York against Washington, I fought for New York against President Trump,' Cuomo told WABC-TV of New York, framing Trump's comments as simply 'his analysis of the race.' Most of Cuomo's announcement video and interviews focused on policy and strategy, dripping with implicit and explicit acknowledgments that he made mistakes during his primary campaign and won't make them again. Cuomo's campaign did not respond to multiple requests for comment on the change in strategy. 'Unless you've been living under a rock, you probably know that the Democratic primary did not go the way I had hoped,' Cuomo says in the video, amid video of him shaking hands with people in the city. Going on to criticize Mamdani's 'slick slogans, but no real solutions,' Cuomo says he's focused on a city with 'lower rent, safer streets, where buying your first home is once again possible, where child care won't bankrupt you.' And in interview after interview, Cuomo pitched proposals for issues such as lowering rent, building more housing, addressing public transportation and other proposals completely divorced from the politics of clashing with the Republican president. The focus on policy comes after many Democrats credit Mamdani's emphasis on the issue of affordability in the city, as well as his social media and engagement strategy, for his upset victory over the far more established Cuomo. In an interview with NY1, Cuomo sought to go after Mamdani's perceived strength on the issue of affordability by panning his solutions as unrealistic. 'I agree with him on the problem — and by the way, he didn't figure out the problem,' Cuomo said, referencing the quixotic 2010 gubernatorial campaign of Jimmy McMillian, who ran against Cuomo on his slogan, 'The rent is too damn high.' And later, he responded to a question about why he ignored the warning signs of his campaign by admitting he 'did not run a good campaign,' saying it was 'uncharacteristic' of him to run a 'very non-aggressive campaign' considering how he's been tagged as 'too aggressive, too difficult, too hostile' throughout his career because 'all the geniuses said I was way ahead for the entire campaign, so the campaign played it safe.' 'There was no inspiration to it, there wasn't enough positivity to it. But the campaign itself was just not good, not good in aggressively communicating the affirmative, or frankly, in debunking the simplicity of his solutions,' he said. 'Three word solutions are great on social media. Yeah, except in reality, they are all BS.' Shedding the anti-Trump messaging for a more policy-oriented one comes not just after a campaign Cuomo himself admitted was lacking, but it also comes as the race opens up to the wider New York City electorate facing a complicated choice between the Democrat Mamdani, two independents in Cuomo and Mayor Eric Adams (who dropped out of the Democratic primary after the Trump administration dismissed federal corruption charges he had been facing) and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa. Basil Smikle, a New York Democratic strategist who previously served as the executive director of the state Democratic Party for a portion of Cuomo's governorship and ran Ray McGuire's 2021 mayoral campaign, told NBC News that he understands "Cuomo's need to push Donald Trump to the back burner and speak more positively about himself and what he'll do for New York," particularly amid a need to bring out "more conservative voters who would come out in a general election." But he warned that Cuomo's decades in politics will make it harder for him to reboot. "Are you going to lose more people than you gain by not attacking Trump, by trying to be too cute by half and say: 'I want people to get to know [me] better?' We know you, we know you were governor, we know why you resigned. What is it about Cuomo 2.0 that makes him a better, more relatable candidate?" Smikle said. Sam Raskin, a New York Democratic strategist who worked for Democratic mayoral hopeful Scott Stringer in the primary, told NBC News that while both the 'text and subtext' of Cuomo's launch video show that he recognizes he needs to embark on a different strategy this time, that it remains to be seen whether the campaign addresses the issues with the 'substance' too, because Mamdani didn't just connect with voters because of his style. 'Cuomo is adjusting in certain ways but I have yet to see an overall vision and an overall idea of what exactly Andrew Cuomo is going to do for New Yorkers and what exactly he is going to deliver," he said. Mamdani and his campaign have responded to the reset by accusing Cuomo and his campaign of imitation, needling his comments about housing affordability and arguing that voters won't buy any reset. 'What we found is that New Yorkers knew those answers three weeks ago, they will know those answers in November,' Mamdani said during a rally with a labor union shortly after Cuomo's announcement, discussing pension issues, according to video from a New York Daily News reporter reposted on social media by the candidate's campaign. The schedule demands of having to reboot the campaign so quickly after the late June primary could also be an issue for Cuomo, added Raskin, the Democratic strategist. "Not a lot of time has passed between election night, when we saw him last, and the new and improved Andrew Cuomo out on the street," he said. This article was originally published on
