It’s official. After speculation in recent weeks, Andrew Cuomo, 67, former Governor of New York State from 2010 to 2021, has announced his candidacy for mayor of New York City. In a 17-minute video on YouTube, he lists the reasons for his decision and the crucial points of his agenda. For his name to appear on the June 24 primary ballot, Cuomo has only one month to collect at least 3,750 signatures on his behalf.
Several prominent people had already endorsed Cuomo in recent weeks, despite not officially running yet: former rival Carl McCall, who ran against him in the 2022 primary for governor; Congressman Ritchie Torres; and the Italian American Democratic Leadership Council.
Cuomo is competing against the current mayor, Eric Adams; current NYC Comptroller Brad Lander; Queens Senator Jessica Ramos; Brooklyn Senator Zellnor Myrie; Queens Congressman Zohran Mamdani; former NYC Comptroller Scott Stringer; and former Bronx Congressman Michael Blake.
He does not mention Eric Adams in the video, but it is clear that Cuomo’s criticism is directed at the current mayor. “The city just seems threatening, out of control. These conditions do not exist as an act of God, but rather as an act of our political leaders. Or more precisely, the lack of intelligent actions by many of our political leaders. I know we can turn the city around, and I believe I can make a contribution, which is why today I announced my candidacy for mayor of New York City.”
An Italian American originally from Queens, Cuomo has always played an active role in the New York political environment: first as an adviser to his father Mario Cuomo when he was governor during the 1980s and 1990s, and then as federal housing secretary and Attorney General of New York State. Finally, he won state elections as governor for the first time in 2010 and again in 2014 and 2018. In 2020, he became popular for accurate daily updates during the Covid-19 pandemic. In December of that year, a former staffer, Linsdey Boylan, sued him for sexual harassment. She was joined by a dozen other women, spurring the decline of Cuomo’s political career. On August 10, 2021, he resigned and has kept a low profile ever since. His decision to throw his hat in the ring as a mayoral candidate brings him back to the forefront of New York politics.
