Cuomo stays in NYC mayor’s race as an independent after losing Democratic primary to Mamdani
NEW YORK AP Former New York Gov Andrew Cuomo says he will campaign for mayor of New York City as an independent candidate staying in a crowded field running against surging left-wing Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani Related Articles New York clerk again refuses to enforce Texas judgment against practitioner who provided abortion pills New tax break for auto loans could save selected buyers thousands of dollars But will it boost sales Beautiful or Ugly Trump s big bill shapes the battle for House control in midterms Trump to make unprecedented second state visit to UK in September Under fire by Trump over costs Chair Powell seeks watchdog review of Fed building overhaul In a video Cuomo who last month suffered a bruising loss to Mamdani in the Democratic primary released he was making another run to combat the progressive Mamdani who he mentioned offers slick slogans but no real solutions The fight to save our city isn t over Cuomo explained Only percent of New Yorkers voted in the June primary The general referendum is in November and I am in it to win it Incumbent Mayor Eric Adams also is running as an independent in the general electoral contest and Curtis Sliwa founder of the s-era Guardian Angels anti-crime patrol is again on the Republican line People opposed to Mamdani s progressive agenda which includes higher taxes on the wealthy have called on donors and voters to unite behind a single candidate for the November balloting They fear multiple candidates will splinter the anti-Mamdani vote increasing the Democrat s chances to win The decision to continue on in the race is the latest chapter in Cuomo s comeback attempt launched almost four years after he resigned as governor in following a barrage of sexual harassment charges He denied wrongdoing during the campaign maintaining that the shame was driven by politics Cuomo was treated as the presumed frontrunner for much of the Democratic primary with the former governor boasting deep political experience universal name recognition and a juggernaut fundraising operation He limited media interviews held meager unscripted events and avoided mingling with voters Democrat mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani speaks during a rally at the Hotel Gaming Trades Council headquarters in New York Wednesday July AP Photo Richard Drew That strategy contrasted with Mamdani s energetic street-level campaign centered around affordability issues The -year-old amassed a legion of young helpers who blanketed the city to build advocacy while the candidate s savvy social media persona won him national acclaim Lagging behind Mamdani in the vote count Cuomo conceded the race last month on primary night Final results disclosed after the city ran through its ranked choice voting calculations revealed Mamdani besting the former governor by percentage points Despite the Democratic primary loss Cuomo had also qualified to run on an independent ballot line in November under a party he created called Fight and Deliver As he weighed whether to stay on as an independent Cuomo began losing aid from traditional allies Key labor unions backed Mamdani and the Rev Al Sharpton an influential Black leader urged Cuomo to step aside Particular deep-pocketed contributors have meanwhile aligned behind Adams who is running as an independent Although he s still a Democrat Adams pulled out of the primary shortly after a federal judge dismissed a corruption affair against him at the request of President Donald Trump s Justice Department arguing that the matter had sidelined him from campaigning Cuomo served as governor for over a decade and modeled himself as a socially progressive Democrat who got things done He pushed through measure that legalized gay marriage and tackled massive infrastructure projects like a three-mile bridge over the Hudson River that he named after his father Cuomo s national profile peaked in the early days of the nation s coronavirus outbreak during his televised daily briefings The governor leavened stern warnings for people to wear masks with heartfelt expressions of concern for his elderly mother or brotherly banter with Chris Cuomo a TV journalist His reputation was soon tainted when it emerged that the state s official count of nursing home deaths had excluded countless sufferers who had been transferred to hospitals before they succumbed Cuomo resigned shortly after New York s attorney general distributed the results of an probe that exposed he sexually harassed at least women
