Good morning. It’s Monday. Today we’ll look at how former Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s announcement that he would run for mayor of New York could complicate the chances of the Democrats who are already in the race — including Mayor Eric Adams.
Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s announcement that he would run for mayor of New York was not unexpected, but still it rocked the race. Seven other Democrats had already signed up to oppose Mayor Eric Adams in the primary. He is lagging in polls and has a complicated history: Indicted on corruption charges in the fall, he has been attacked since the Trump administration took office for what some have said is a quid pro quo — they accuse the Justice Department of offering to drop the case if he cooperated with President Trump’s crackdown on immigration. Adams has denied such a deal, although he agreed to let federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents into the Rikers Island jails in a major departure from the city’s sanctuary policies.
I asked our City Hall bureau chief, Emma G. Fitzsimmons — who, with Nicholas Fandos, covered Cuomo’s announcement over the weekend — what Cuomo is basing his campaign on and what to expect between now and the Democratic primary in June.
What is Cuomo’s message, and can he win?
He enters the race as a front-runner because of his name recognition. He’s leading in polls. He’s a strong fund-raiser and is moving to secure key endorsements.
He’s running on a message that he has the experience to “save our city” and solve pressing challenges, from the affordability crisis to violence on the subway. One quotation that stood out from his campaign video: “I know what needs to be done, and I know how to do it.”
But early front-runners often face tough coverage by the news media and a pile-on of criticism from challengers. Cuomo hasn’t campaigned in a competitive race since 2018, and we’re looking forward to asking him questions about his agenda.
What is Cuomo saying about Adams?
Cuomo didn’t mention Adams when he announced his campaign. But he painted a gloomy picture of the city, and he clearly doesn’t think that Adams is doing a good job — or that Adams can win if he’s running against him.
Adams was mostly silent over the weekend about Cuomo’s entry into the race. But Adams has noted that Andrew Yang, a former presidential candidate who ran in the Democratic primary for mayor four years ago, led in early polls.
Adams is going to fight on for now. He told reporters on Sunday that Mr. Cuomo could no longer hide “in the shadows” and would have to take “real positions.”
Cuomo and Adams actually have a lot in common: They’re both moderate-to-conservative Democrats who have criticized progressive leaders and positioned themselves as tough on crime, and they have received support from Black and Jewish voters.
What does Cuomo’s attempt at a comeback say about the staying power of the #MeToo movement?
Cuomo resigned in 2021 after being accused of sexual harassment by 11 women. He has denied the allegations and fought them in court.
But some Democrats argue that his behavior was disqualifying then and now.
The #MeToo movement is less strong now than it was four years ago, and the race will be a test of whether it’s a priority for voters. Cuomo is one of three candidates in the race who have faced allegations of sexual misconduct. The other two are Adams, who was accused in a lawsuit of sexual assault in 1993, and Scott Stringer, a former city comptroller who was accused of sexually harassing two women decades ago.
Do Democrats see Cuomo’s take-no-prisoners style as an advantage now that Donald Trump is president again?
Cuomo is certainly running as a “tough guy” who will confront Trump and the left wing of his own party, and someone who can make things happen. He has highlighted infrastructure projects, such as rebuilding LaGuardia Airport when he was governor.
Joe Biden once compared LaGuardia to a “third-world country.” Now it’s winning awards for design and convenience.
Some Democrats are worried that Adams is beholden to Trump and will not stand up to him over mass deportations and federal funding cuts to key programs. Cuomo often fought with Trump during his first presidential term and could do so again. He said in his campaign video that he would “stand up and fight for New York” and “make sure we get our fair share of funding and protect the rights and values that New Yorkers hold dear.”
Cuomo agrees with Trump on some issues; they both oppose the new congestion pricing tolls for cars entering Manhattan, though Cuomo previously favored them.
By running as someone who can stand up to Trump, is Cuomo trying to position himself to run for president in 2028?
There is already speculation about that. The mayor of New York City is often a national figure, but no New York City mayor has ever become president. Many have tried, including Michael Bloomberg, Bill de Blasio, Rudolph Giuliani and John Lindsay.
For now, it’s safe to say that Cuomo’s focus will be on winning a competitive Democratic primary in June — and, if hes successful, winning the general election in November.
Cuomo became a national figure during the pandemic five years ago. How will the fallout from the pandemic affect him in the race for mayor?
Many New Yorkers have fond memories of his pandemic briefings. At a moment when there was a lot of anxiety, he made people feel that he was in charge and managing the crisis.
But he has received significant criticism over his handling of nursing homes during the pandemic, and his $5 million book deal during that period has been investigated. Some families who lost loved ones at nursing homes have opposed his mayoral campaign.
What’s next?
We’ll see how vigorously Mayor Adams campaigns and whether he decides not to run for re-election after all. He has record-low approval ratings, and some of his allies have warmed to Cuomo.
The City Council speaker, Adrienne Adams, is expected to make a decision in the coming days about whether she will enter the race. She is a moderate Democrat from Queens and has support from Letitia James, the state attorney general, who has been a fierce critic of Cuomo.
We’ll also see if any of the progressive candidates stand out. Brad Lander, the city comptroller, and Zohran Mamdani, a state lawmaker from Queens, have strong fund-raising numbers and have done well in recent polls.
Weather
Expect sun throughout the day, with the temperature reaching into the high 30s; the wind chill will make it feel colder. In the evening, the sky will be clear and the temperature will be in the low 30s.
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Dear Diary:
It was June 2016, and I was on my way to my first 9-to-5 job in Midtown. I boarded a crowded 1 train at 135th and Broadway and then gingerly made my way onto an even more crowded express at 96th Street.
It was clear that no one really wanted to be on the train, but everyone was civil about it. People moved in where they could and put their backpacks on the floor to accommodate others.
The air-conditioning was hardly working, and we were all packed like sardines in silence. I held my right hand against the ceiling to balance myself on the way to the next stop, 72nd Street.
When the train pulled in, a large crowd was waiting. Very few people got off, and only a couple of people managed to get on. A well-dressed woman in a leopard-print dress stared into the car from the platform, looking for somewhere she could fit.
“Guys, really?” she said. “Make room for me. Please.”
No response.
“I can clearly see enough space for three to four people in the car,” she said.