By: Jared Evan

Former New York Governor David Paterson revealed that after he publicly suggested that either Mayor Eric Adams or former Governor Andrew Cuomo should drop out of the New York City mayoral race to block socialist Zohran Mamdani from winning, his family was inundated with hateful and threatening phone calls.

These calls came from radical Mamdani supporters, who are dangerous Marxist radicals, potential communist enemies of the republic, strong anti-Semites, and potential terrorists—who flooded Paterson’s home with vitriol in the wake of his comments.

Paterson spoke about the backlash during an appearance on John Catsimatidis’ “Cat’s Roundtable” on WABC 770 AM. “I got a whole lot of nasty, negative phone calls — really vitriolic — from Mamdani supporters,” Paterson said. “They called my home. They called my wife. It was really kind of difficult for those 48 hours after the press conference.”

The former governor’s call for either Cuomo or Adams to step aside was rooted in concerns about splitting the moderate vote, which he warned would open the door for Mamdani to win the mayoral race in November. Mamdani, a state assemblyman from Queens, shocked New York City politics by pulling off a stunning upset to win the Democratic primary.

“If Andrew Cuomo and Eric Adams both stay in the mayor’s race, it will be an open door for Zohran Mamdani to win the election in November for mayor,” Paterson said. “My proposal was that there be a way to make a decision on which of these two candidates should run against Mamdani.”

The rise of Mamdani and the radical left-wing coalition supporting him has unsettled much of the city’s political establishment. Mamdani’s backers, who Paterson and others label as enemies of the state, represent a dangerous faction of Marxist radicals who reject mainstream governance and embrace extreme ideologies that many fear could destabilize the city.

Paterson expressed strong reservations about Mamdani’s leadership potential, highlighting Mamdani’s controversial remarks following the 2020 protests that erupted after the killing of George Floyd. Mamdani reportedly said, “Well, it’s too bad it had to happen, but it had to happen,” a statement that many interpreted as tacit approval of the violent unrest and rioting that shook cities nationwide. Paterson condemned this viewpoint, stating, “This is not the way we make change in this country — by rioting.”

The radical supporters of Mamdani have proven to be hostile and aggressive toward anyone opposing their candidate. Paterson’s experience with threatening phone calls aimed at him and his family reflects a broader pattern of intimidation from this group, which many regard as not only communist enemies of the republic but also potential terrorists whose vitriol and hateful rhetoric pose a real threat to civic peace.

Meanwhile, Andrew Cuomo is expected to formally announce that he will continue his mayoral bid as an independent candidate, while Mayor Eric Adams is also seeking re-election. Their presence in the race has created a scenario where the leftist vote may be fractured, increasing Mamdani’s chances of victory.

On the Republican side, Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa continues to run, but the main focus remains the intense division within the left-wing electorate.

Paterson’s call for either Adams or Cuomo to step aside is a plea for unity to protect the city from what he perceives as a dangerous radical takeover.