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By: Benyamin Davidsons
In 2021, former New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo resigned in scandal, facing numerous allegations of sexual harassment as well as a federal investigation alleging his administration sought to cover up the number of nursing home deaths in the COVID-19 pandemic. He had served as governor from 2011 till 2021, and previously as Attorney General of NY from 2007. His father, the late Mario Cuomo had serves three terms as governor of New York. Multiple sources have confirmed that Mr. Cuomo, 67, is hoping for a comeback, eyeing a run for Mayor of New York City.
The Democratic Primary for the ticket, to take place in June, is already crowded with well known-politicians including NY City Comptroller Brad Lander, former city Comptroller Scott Stringer, Queens state Sen. Jessica Ramos, Assemblymember Zohran Mandani, and Brooklyn state Sen. Zellnor Myrie.
As reported by the NY Times, Mr. Cuomo has not yet officially entered the race. His primary concern, seems not to be the crowded list of contenders, but the incumbent Mayor Eric Adams himself. His insecurity may lie with a previous failed attempt in 2002, in which he had made his first try for the governor’s seat, pitted in the primary against a well-liked Black Democrat, H. Carl McCall. Cuomo had dropped out days before the primary, describing the humiliation as “the worst thing that could happen to you, short of death.” For a long time, black leaders begrudged Cuomo, blaming him for undermining McCall’s chances in politics. Now, Cuomo is again mulling a primary run against a prominent Black leader– Mayor Eric Adams. This time, he seems to be proceeding with caution.
Mayor Adams, who is facing federal corruption charges, has insisted on his innocence and vowed to fight to keep his seat in the upcoming election. Per the NY Times, in order to win, Cuomo would have to steal a sizable share of Black voters, whom are currently sympathetic to Mr. Adams – and he would have to win them over without igniting backlash. Mr. Cuomo “can’t be seen as prospering off the misfortunes of Eric Adams,” warned the Rev. Johnnie Green Jr., the pastor of Mount Neboh Baptist Church in Harlem.
To further complicate things for Mr. Cuomo, opposition groups have already prepared ads portraying him as disrespectful and derisive to the Black community, per a Democratic source for the Times. The ads will focus on racially charged comments Cuomo appeared to make in 2008, including the term “shuck and jive,” which some suggest referred to how Barack Obama, then a presidential candidate, deceived reporters. Per the NY Times, the ads also point to a more recent remark in which Cuomo accused Letitia James, the state’s Black attorney general, of “incompetence” after she led the investigation into accusations of sexual harassment against him, which helped end his term as governor.
For now, Cuomo is avoiding any type of face off with Mayor Adams, refraining from any criticism towards Adams. In a heartening poll, published earlier this month by Democratic activist group Progressive Democrats of America, Cuomo led the primary pack dominating the field by being selected as the favorite candidate by a whopping 32% of those polled. The runner up in the poll was Stringer, who still trailing far behind, being named top choice by 10% of responders.
