Rivals of former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo found common ground on Monday, urging voters across New York City to leave the Democratic mayoral front-runner off their ballots in the city’s ranked choice primary election on Tuesday.
Why It Matters
The former governor has led most polls since entering the mayoral race in March, but Cuomo has gotten some troubling signs in recent weeks, as state Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, a favorite among progressives, gained traction.
Cuomo won three terms as governor of New York but resigned from office in 2021 after the state attorney general’s office determined that he sexually harassed 11 women. Cuomo has denied any wrongdoing.
What To Know
Democratic candidate and NYC Comptroller Brad Lander told WNYC radio, which interviewed all the major candidates ahead of Tuesday’s primary: “Let’s make sure Andrew Cuomo gets nowhere near City Hall.”
Zellnor Myrie, New York state senator and another Cuomo rival, told WNYC: “We need fresh leadership, we need to turn the page and we need bold solutions at this moment.”
Michael Blake, former New York state lawmaker, also sought to turn voters away from Cuomo, telling WNYC: “You do not have to go back to the name of Andrew Cuomo,” adding that it was time to move on from the former governor.
Lander, Myrie and Blake’s comments came after Mamdani appeared to pull ahead of Cuomo in a new survey from Emerson College Polling, widely considered one of the most reputable pollsters.
The survey found that Cuomo still leads the pack, clocking in at 35 percent support compared to Mamdani’s 32 percent, which is within the poll’s margin of error.
But when voters were asked to rank up to five candidates in order of preference, Mamdani came out ahead with 52 percent support, while Cuomo came in second at 48 percent. The results were tallied after eight rounds of simulated ranked choice voting.
Rich Azzopardi, spokesperson for Cuomo, told Newsweek the Emerson poll was an “outlier.”
“Every other credible poll in this election, including two released last week, has shown Governor Cuomo with a double-digit lead, which is exactly where this election will end tomorrow. Between now and then, we will continue to fight for every vote like he will fight for every New Yorker as mayor,” Azzopardi said.
Mamdani, for his part, told WNYC on Monday that he believes he’s “one day from toppling a political dynasty,” referring to Cuomo. Before he was governor, his father, Mario Cuomo, served as New York’s governor for three terms, from 1983 to 1994.
“New Yorkers are done with the cynical politics of the past,” Mamdani, who was endorsed in the race by progressive darlings including New York U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, told WNYC. “They want a future they can afford.”
Cuomo hit back at his most daunting opponent, telling the station that Mamdani is “about public relations” and lacks the skills and experience needed to be New York mayor.
What People Are Saying
Ocasio-Cortez formally endorsed Mamdani on June 5 and urged the left to unite against Cuomo, telling The New York Times: “Assemblymember Mamdani has demonstrated a real ability on the ground to put together a coalition of working-class New Yorkers that is strongest to lead the pack. In the final stretch of the race, we need to get very real about that.”
Sanders officially endorsed Mamdani on Tuesday, writing on X, formerly Twitter: “At this dangerous moment in history, status quo politics isn’t good enough. We need new leadership that is prepared to stand up to powerful corporate interests & fight for the working class. @ZohranKMamdani is providing that vision. He is the best choice for NYC mayor.”
What Happens Next
New York City voters will hit the polls on Tuesday, but there’s uncertainty over whether a brutal heat wave could affect turnout in the primary election.
Cuomo, meanwhile, will be on the ballot regardless of whether he wins the Democratic primary because he will run on an independent line after forming the “Fight and Deliver” party. New York City’s current mayor, Eric Adams, is also running as an independent.
Reporting by the Associated Press contributed to this article.
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