Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday dismissed Gov. Kathy Hochul’s (D-NY) recent endorsement of his rival in New York City’s mayoral race.
“Everybody makes a political decision on a political endorsement and what works for their politics, and that’s obviously her decision,” he said of Hochul’s decision over the weekend to defy establishment Democrats by backing Democratic socialist Zorhan Mamdani for mayor.
“I don’t think endorsements mean that much in campaigns anymore in general,” Cuomo added during an interview with the New York Times.
Cuomo’s comments came after Hochul endorsed Mamdani as the first socialist mayor of the country’s largest city on Sunday. The governor’s statement ended months of speculation over whether she would heed progressive pressure to back Mamdani or listen to more centrist New York Democratic lawmakers, who favored Cuomo or New York City Mayor Eric Adams, also running as an independent for reelection. It also signaled a deepening divide in the Democratic Party over whether to cede messaging, strategy, and policy to the progressive factions or more centrist figures.
Cuomo, who spent decades climbing the ranks in the Democratic Party before launching an independent candidacy for mayor in July, suggested this week that the party has largely lost relevancy. In the wake of the 2024 election, which saw deep Democratic losses to the GOP, Cuomo appeared to be at a loss for words when questioned on even one figure in the party he looks up to.
“Admire? None comes to mind,” he said. “The Democratic Party is not meeting the moment… I think the Democratic Party has created the moment.”
Cuomo entered a third-party bid for mayor before the 2025 general election after suffering a bruising loss to Mamdani in the city’s Democratic primary earlier this year.
Mamdani is leading both Cuomo and Adams, as well as Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, by a wide margin in polling.
The democratic socialist candidate has gained attention for his appeal to younger, more affluent progressive voters, which was partly generated by a massive grassroots campaign and his social media prowess.
WORKING-CLASS SUPPORT ELUDES MAMDANI AS TRUMP FINDS A BOGEYMAN
Mamdani’s commitment to socialist policies, including advocating for government-run grocery stores, free bus fares, and expanding rent-controlled housing, has brought him criticism from moderates in the Democratic Party, as well as Republicans, who have painted the mayoral candidate as the new “bogeyman” of the Left.
Underlying themes of cultural marxism that undergird many of his beliefs, including deep skepticism of Zionist Jews, police, and the wealthy, have also made him the target of critics who argue his values undermine the country’s commitment to capitalism and other individualistic ideals.