Cuomo Targeted in New Wave of Mayoral TV Ads as Opponents Blast His Record and Image

Edited by: TJVNews.com

New York City’s 2025 mayoral race has entered a ferocious new chapter as a tidal wave of political attack ads floods the airwaves, zeroing in on former Governor Andrew Cuomo — now widely regarded as the Democratic frontrunner in an increasingly contentious contest. According to multiple reports in The New York Post, candidates vying for City Hall are pouring millions into ad buys that brand Cuomo as the face of political corruption and failed leadership.

At the front of the ad blitz is current New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, who has launched an aggressive $750,000 television ad campaign—so far the largest single media expenditure in the race. The ad, which premiered Wednesday morning on major networks including NY1, MSNBC, and other local affiliates, depicts Lander standing in a car junkyard, symbolically “crushing” corruption, according to The New York Post report. The narrator intones with unmistakable force: “Andrew Cuomo spent $60 million of your money to defend himself in court — that’s corrupt, but Brad Lander fights corruption.”

Lander’s campaign team views this ad as a defining moment — not only to introduce Lander to a broader audience but to sharply contrast his image as a reformer with Cuomo’s history of scandal and political baggage, the New York Post reported. “This ad will introduce Brad Lander to voters as the honest, effective fighter New York City needs to stand up to Trump and turn the page on Eric Adams’ chaos, in stark contrast to Andrew Cuomo — a corrupt politician who continues to spend more than $60 million of New Yorkers’ taxpayer money to try to make his personal scandals go away,” Lander spokesperson Dora Pekec told The Post.

But Lander isn’t alone in his high-stakes offensive.

Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, a prominent Democratic Socialist and the second-highest polling candidate in the race, has also launched his own attack ads, kicking off his campaign with a $100,000 ad buy. The report in The New York Post said that his first commercial aired during a Knicks playoff game and again during “Saturday Night Live,” targeting both Cuomo and outgoing Mayor Eric Adams.

“Corrupt politicians like Eric Adams and Andrew Cuomo have sold us out to billionaires and corporations rigging the economy against us,” Mamdani declares directly to camera as he walks through a gritty New York street, positioning himself as the progressive antidote to establishment politics.

Mamdani’s campaign, according to the information provided in The New York Post report, is operating from a position of relative financial strength. He’s become the first mayoral contender in the race to hit the $8 million fundraising threshold, giving him significant firepower for future media buys and digital outreach.

While Lander and Mamdani attempt to define Cuomo through a lens of controversy and ethical lapses, the former governor is far from defenseless. Backed by a well-funded political action committee, Fix the City Inc., Cuomo has already blanketed television and online platforms with ads of his own, reportedly spending more than $5.6 million in defense of his brand and message. His PAC’s early media strategy appears designed to reframe his leadership record and position him as a stabilizing force amid what his team describes as a fractured political environment.

Despite having left office under a cloud of scandal, Cuomo has re-entered the political arena with remarkable resilience. Polls consistently place him at the top of the crowded Democratic field, and his financial war chest, along with institutional name recognition, makes him a formidable opponent. The New York Post report noted that several key Democratic challengers — including Brooklyn State Senator Zellnor Myrie — have now made Cuomo the focal point of their campaigns, highlighting a coordinated strategy to knock him off the frontrunner perch.

Still, the scale of Lander’s opening salvo has set a new benchmark in the race. With close to $6 million raised so far, Lander’s team is betting that their $750,000 media push will not only rally undecided voters but help reshape the narrative of the campaign.

As the summer primary nears, voters across New York City can expect to see a steady stream of commercials framing Cuomo either as a principled leader reclaiming his legacy — or as the symbol of a political machine that long ago lost the trust of its constituents.

What is clear, as The New York Post report observed, is that the race for mayor is no longer just a political contest. It’s a televised brawl — and the gloves are officially off.