Andrew Cuomo relaunches campaign for mayor after losing primary to Zohran Mamdani

Andrew Cuomo says he’s “truly sorry” for running a poor campaign for the Democratic primary — but now he’s “in it to win it.”

The former governor announced Monday he plans to actively campaign for New York City mayor on an independent ballot line, setting up a crowded general election featuring Democrat Zohran Mamdani, GOP candidate Curtis Sliwa, attorney Jim Walden running as an independent, and Mayor Eric Adams — also on the ballot as an independent after dropping out of the Democratic primary.

In a video announcement and fundraising email to supporters, Cuomo signaled a significant shift in his tone.

“I am truly sorry that I let you down,” Cuomo said in a video posted on X, making a rare apology as he thanked the 440,000 New Yorkers who voted for him in the primary election.

“But as my grandfather used to say, when you get knocked down, learn the lesson and pick yourself back up and get in the game, and that is what I’m going to do.”

Cuomo went further in his email to supporters.

“I made mistakes in the primary,” Cuomo wrote. “All my life I’ve been known for pushing too hard, but this time I played it safe, believing in the polls that said our campaign was way ahead, and not giving New Yorkers the campaign they deserved. I was not aggressive enough in communicating my vision for a fairer, safer, more affordable New York, or in debunking and exposing Zohran Mamdani’s unrealistic proposals and divisive agenda.”

Cuomo lost handedly to Mamdani, who was catapulted to an upset victory due to a relentless focus on affordability and a campaign that inspired young voters.

Running what was often described as a rose garden-style campaign, Cuomo limited his number of public appearances during the primary campaign and rare interactions with the press. In his new video, which clocked in at about 90 seconds, Cuomo walked the city streets taking selfies, shaking hands and chatting with New Yorkers.

By contrast, the video he released launching his primary campaign in March lasted 17 minutes and featured a grim-faced Cuomo looking into the camera, lamenting the state of the city and pledging he could get it back on track.

In the new video Cuomo lobbed an attack at Mamdani, but avoided mentioning any of the other candidates in the race.

“ Only 13% of New Yorkers voted in the June primary. The general election is in November, and I am in it to win it,” said Cuomo. “My opponent, Mr. Mamdani, offers slick slogans, but no real solutions.”

Cuomo did not mention the other major independent candidate in the race, Adams, who has recently sought to paint the former governor as a loser.

“While Andrew Cuomo and Eric Adams are tripping over themselves to cut backroom deals with billionaires and Republicans, Zohran Mamdani is focused on making this city more affordable for New Yorkers. That’s the choice this November,” Mamdani spokesperson Jeffrey Lerner said.

In his letter to supporters, Cuomo made clear that he would run his campaign as a direct response to Mamdani’s win in the primary. While acknowledging the anger and frustration that animated much of the Democratic electorate, particularly young voters, he said he would retool his own campaign, including new staff and a rebooted field operation, to “give it my all.”

“I do not believe that New York City voters affirmatively voted for a socialist form of government that is hostile to business and economic growth, and I do believe that Zohran Mamdani poses a serious threat to the future of the city we love,” Cuomo wrote. Mamdani describes himself as a democratic socialist.

Cuomo’s team and another independent candidate in the race, Walden, had hinted at conversations behind the scenes among candidates who oppose Mamdani. More than a week ago, Walden proposed that all the “free-market candidates” agree that a poll in September would determine which single candidate would remain in the race.

Cuomo backed that plan a week ago and reiterated his support in his email to supporters on Monday. But neither Adams nor the Republican candidate, Sliwa, have shown any interest in that approach.

On Sunday, as news that Cuomo’s return to the campaign began to surface, Adams issued a scathing statement calling him out for trying to push Black candidates like himself out of elections.

“Andrew Cuomo lost the Democratic primary by double digits and is now doing the same thing he did to respected leaders like Charlie King, Gov. David Paterson, and Carl McCall, Assembly Keith Wright — FORCE A BLACK ELECTED OUT OF OFFICE. This kind of political double-dealing is exactly why so many New Yorkers have lost trust in him,” Adams said.

He went on to attack Cuomo’s record on public safety and management of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Observers said they were not surprised by Cuomo’s decision, but cautioned he faces a steep challenge when it comes to persuading voters of his authenticity if he adopts an entirely new persona on the campaign trail.

“For a lot of Democrats, it’s a disappointing decision because I think a lot of Democrats want to see some cohesion, even if there’s a disagreement,” said Basil Smikle, a former chair of the New York State Democratic Party and a professor at Columbia University.

Smikle said Cuomo will have to overcome the narrative that his campaign is funded by very wealthy individuals, which contrasts with Mamdani’s grassroots campaign.

Cuomo did raise more than $4 million for his campaign committee. But his candidacy was boosted by more than $30 million in support from a super PAC called Fix the City.

Smikle said Cuomo is counting on the support of moderate and conservative voters. But some of those same voters overlap with Adams, who retains support among certain older, Black voters.

Since the general election will not use ranked-choice voting, the candidate with the most votes will win the election. Currently, Cuomo, Adams, Walden and Sliwa are all trying to appeal to voters in the center or on the right.


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