Andrew Cuomo, the previous governor of New York and arguably one of many greatest names in state politics, has formally entered New York Metropolis’s race for mayor.
The transfer by the 56th governor of New York has been long-anticipated as many political insiders thought of it solely a matter of time earlier than Cuomo threw his hat within the ring.
Cuomo made his candidacy official on Saturday, asserting his candidacy in a 17-minute video uploaded to his marketing campaign web site. In that video, Cuomo pitches his return as a technique to pull town from social and political turmoil, highlighting average positions on crime and his lengthy historical past of political accomplishments.
“Our city is in crisis,” Cuomo stated on X. “That’s why I am running to be Mayor of New York City.”
NBC New York beforehand reported that the previous governor and his associates had been discussing their technique for presumably coming into the mayor’s race with a number of sources, together with Reverend Al Sharpton.
Polling courting again a number of months discovered that Cuomo may enter the 2025 mayoral race as a frontrunner, regardless of the scandals that brought about him to resign — with cash to spend and New York title recognition courting again to his father Mario Cuomo’s three-term reign as governor.
Cuomo resigned from workplace in August 2021, amid sexual harassment allegations, which he staunchly denies. Hochul, a fellow Democrat who had been Cuomo’s lieutenant, inherited the job and was reelected the next 12 months.
Apart from the present mayor, Eric Adams, Cuomo races loads of opposition within the Democratic main. These different candidates embrace Comptroller Brad Lander, state Senator Jessica Ramos, former metropolis Comptroller Scott Stringer, state Senator Zellnor Myrie, and Meeting Member Zohran Mamdani, amongst others.
Regardless of coming into the race behind a big pack of Democratic rivals and with lower than 4 months to go till the first, Cuomo has loomed massive over the race for a while. His title wasn’t solely mentioned in secret or amongst political circles.
Days earlier than formally launching his marketing campaign, Cuomo obtained a surprisingly public endorsement from Congressman Ritchie Torres, a Democrat from the Bronx. Torres informed the New York Put up he thinks town wants “a Mr. Tough Guy.”
At a candidates discussion board held by District Council 37 earlier this week, many on the stage took pictures at Cuomo, in addition to Adams who was additionally not in attendance.
“Unlike Mayor Adams, who raised your rent, or Governor Cuomo, who put you in Tier 6, I have the guts to ask for your endorsement in person,” Queens Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani stated, in line with HellGate.
DOJ investigation into sexual harassment
In January of 2024, the Division of Justice discovered that the previous governor subjected no less than 13 girls to a “sexually hostile work environment” whereas in workplace.
Cuomo “repeatedly subjected these female employees to unwelcome, non-consensual sexual contact; ogling; unwelcome sexual comments; gender-based nicknames; comments on their physical appearances; and/or preferential treatment based on their physical appearances,” the DOJ stated it discovered.
Cuomo’s workplace as a substitute labored to guard the then-governor from additional accusations — and his senior employees retaliated towards 4 of the ladies he harassed, the DOJ stated.
Cuomo legal professional Rita Glavin in a press release to CNBC stated the previous governor “did not sexually harass anyone.”
“The DOJ ‘investigation’ was based entirely on the NYS Attorney General’s deeply flawed, inaccurate, biased, and misleading report,” Glavin stated.
COVID nursing residence response
The Cuomo administration got here beneath vital scrutiny for a coverage that initially required nursing houses to readmit recovering COVID-19 sufferers in an effort to keep away from hospitals from turning into overwhelmed.
Cuomo got here beneath hearth on the topic at a Sept. 2024 listening to earlier than a U.S. Home panel.
U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York referred to as the directive “deadly.” Rep. Brad Wenstrup, the Ohio Republican who chairs the subcommittee, stated it was inconsistent with federal steerage and its penalties have been “dangerous and disastrous.” Republicans accused Cuomo of staging a cover-up to cover errors that endangered nursing residence residents.
In a press release, Cuomo spokesperson Wealthy Azzopardi referred to as the subcommittee’s actions “a taxpayer-funded farce.”
“It is a joke – the Governor stated he didn’t recall as a result of he didn’t recall. The committee lied of their referral simply as they’ve been mendacity to the general public and the press,” Azzopardi stated.
There have been about 15,000 COVID-19 deaths amongst long-term care residents in New York, excess of the preliminary quantity disclosed. Cuomo stated some figures have been initially withheld out of issues about accuracy.
Cuomo was extensively seen as a reassuring determine within the early months of the pandemic, however his status suffered after revelations that his administration launched an incomplete accounting of the variety of deaths at nursing houses and assisted residing services.
Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo was within the sizzling seat on Tuesday, as he testified earlier than a congressional subcommittee about how he dealt with the unfold of COVID-19 in nursing houses through the peak of the pandemic. NBC New York’s Chris Glorioso experiences.
