A possible 11th-hour entry by Andrew Cuomo has loomed over the New York City mayoral race for weeks. Now it looks like he’s about to throw his hat in the the ring, and he appears to be in a very good position to do so.
A Honan Strategy Group–conducted poll from Tusk Strategies, first reported by the New York Post, found the former governor leading among likely Democratic voters with 38 percent of the vote, putting him far out in front of the rest of the primary challengers. Leftist Queens assemblymember Zohran Mamdani received 12 percent, followed by incumbent mayor Eric Adams with 10 percent, comptroller Brad Lander with 7 percent, and former comptroller Scott Stringer with 5 percent. Brooklyn state senator Zellnor Myrie came in at 2 percent, and Queens state senator Jessica Ramos at one percent.
Though the survey hails from Cuomo-friendly territory (Politico recently reported that Tusk Strategies’ CEO has been making calls on the former governor’s behalf), its findings are similar to earlier polls that showed Cuomo with a double-digit lead over the crowded field. And another new poll out on Tuesday, by UniteNY poll, has Cuomo leading the primary with 35 percent in the first round. That survey takes into account New York City’s ranked-choice voting system and differs significantly from the Tusk Strategies one beyond the Cuomo number; it shows Stringer in second place with 17 percent and Adams in third place with 15 percent.
Cuomo has probably seen enough to finally jump in. Sources tell the New York Times that the former governor could launch his campaign as soon as this weekend with fundraisers to follow within days. He was recently endorsed by his onetime rival Carl McCall and Representative Ritchie Torres and is expected to receive the backing of the New York City District Council of Carpenters, which previously supported Adams, per Politico. More key endorsements are likely to follow.
But Cuomo’s high name recognition is likely a double-edged sword. In 2021, his long tenure in Albany ended in disgrace following numerous allegations of sexual harassment against him. Though Cuomo resigned, he always maintained his innocence and made moves to sue one of his accusers, Charlotte Bennett, for defamation. The former governor has also been criticized for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, facing accusations that his administration knowingly undercounted the number of deaths in nursing homes related to the virus. Last year, Cuomo testified on the issue before a Republican-led House panel that later alleged he lied to Congress and made a referral to the Justice Department. Earlier this year, a Justice Department inspector general report concluded that pandemic investigations into Democratic-led states conducted during Trump’s first term might’ve been politically motivated, something that Cuomo and his team have long argued.
Cuomo’s potential challengers have long been prepared for this moment. Myrie has criticized the former governor for being “quiet” on the impacts of Trump’s presidency; his campaign launched a website with a running clock noting the length of his silence. In October, Ramos pushed back on the idea a Cuomo comeback in a lengthy thread on social media.
“Like Donald Trump begging for a second term, Andrew Cuomo wants you to think that it will be different this time — that if we go back, things will move forward. But we know better: We are not going back,” she wrote.
Mamdani and Lander have both sought to draw parallels between Cuomo and Adams:
As for Adams, he has continued to downplay the former governor’s strength in the polls, citing the fact that during his first mayoral campaign Adams also trailed entrepreneur Andrew Yang. “So in February, Andrew was kicking my rear. And you know what? We don’t say Mayor Yang. We say Mayor Adams,” he said. “So, polls don’t make mayors. People do.”
