By: Russ Spencer

Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo sparked headlines Saturday after quipping that he would pack up and move to Florida if he loses the New York City mayoral election to self-described socialist Zohran Mamdani. The New York Post reported that Cuomo’s remarks came during a private breakfast gathering of business leaders and political influencers in the Hamptons, hosted by supermarket magnate John Catsimatidis.

According to the information provided in The New York Post report, Cuomo addressed the high-powered audience at 75 Main, a popular Southampton venue, where he framed the upcoming election as a defining moment for the future of New York City. “It’s all or nothing. We either win or even I will move to Florida. God forbid!” Cuomo reportedly declared, prompting laughter among the assembled guests.

While the former governor’s remark was received in jest by many in attendance, Cuomo’s campaign later emphasized — through spokesman Rich Azzopardi — that the comment was meant humorously, underscoring the gravity of the mayoral contest. “Governor Cuomo would never give up on New York,” Azzopardi stated in comments quoted by The New York Post. “That said, the line underscores the stakes in the upcoming election and the risk of electing a dangerously inexperienced, hate-spewing 33-year-old socialist whose campaign consists of unrealistic bumper sticker slogans.”

Cuomo, who is waging a political comeback bid after losing the Democratic primary to Mamdani, is now running as an independent candidate in the November general election. Cuomo did not shy away from taking direct shots at Mamdani during the Hamptons event, frequently referring to his opponent as “kid” and attacking Mamdani’s housing policy proposals — particularly his plan to freeze rents on stabilized apartments.

Calling the rent freeze idea a potential “death sentence” for the city’s housing market, Cuomo warned that such a policy would discourage landlords from maintaining their properties, ultimately harming tenants and neighborhoods. Mamdani’s campaign declined to respond to inquiries from The New York Post regarding Cuomo’s criticism.

Cuomo also used the Hamptons platform to take aim at Mayor Eric Adams, another Democratic figure seeking re-election as an independent. The New York Post report detailed how Cuomo openly questioned Adams’ leadership, claiming that New York City has lacked “a competent mayor” since Michael Bloomberg left office in 2013. Cuomo further alleged that Adams “could not focus” during his tenure, citing the distractions posed by a now-closed federal corruption investigation and other controversies that have dogged the current mayor’s administration.

The former governor’s assessment of the city’s current state was blunt. “The city feels out of control,” Cuomo declared.

The audience at the Hamptons gathering — described by The New York Post report as a who’s who of political and business heavyweights — included real estate mogul Bruce Mosler, former U.S. Ambassador to Greece George Tsunis, state Assemblywoman Rebecca Seawright, Democratic fundraiser Dennis Miehl, former top Cuomo aide Melissa DeRosa, and Cuomo campaign chairman Bill Mulrow.

Despite the spirited exchange, Cuomo’s comments were not universally well-received. Mayor Adams, in remarks to The New York Post, responded pointedly to the former governor’s Florida quip. Adams, who earlier in the week assured The New York Post that he would never leave New York — even if a socialist took the reins at City Hall — countered, “If Cuomo is serious about moving to Florida, he should go ahead — he’s already spent three recent weekends in the Hamptons.”

The New York Post’s coverage of the Hamptons event highlighted how Cuomo’s offhand remark has come to symbolize broader anxieties about the direction of the city’s leadership. While the campaign maintains the former governor’s Florida comment was lighthearted, The New York Post report emphasized that the underlying message was intended as a stark warning about the implications of electing Mamdani — a candidate Cuomo’s team paints as dangerously inexperienced and ideologically extreme.

With the general election campaign entering its critical final months, the Cuomo camp appears determined to sharpen its attacks on both Mamdani and Adams, casting itself as the last viable alternative for voters concerned about the city’s future. Whether the Florida comment will remain a humorous aside or become a political talking point in its own right remains to be seen, but Cuomo’s ability to command attention — even with a tongue-in-cheek remark — suggests his political instincts remain intact amid an increasingly volatile mayoral race.