Former New York governor and New York Metropolis mayoral candidate Andrew Cuomo speaks throughout his main election night time rally in New York Metropolis, U.S., June 24, 2025.
Kylie Cooper | Reuters
Andrew Cuomo launched an unbiased bid to turn into mayor of New York Metropolis on Monday, organising a rematch in November with frontrunner Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee.
Cuomo promised an overhaul of his failed main marketing campaign towards Mamdani, a 33-year-old state assemblyman and self-described democratic socialist. However he additionally vowed to drop out of the race in September if one other candidate regarded to have a greater shot at defeating Mamdani.
“Until you’ve got been dwelling beneath a rock, you in all probability know that the Democratic main didn’t go the best way I had hoped,” Cuomo stated in a video posted on social media.
The 67-year-old — who resigned as New York governor in 2021 after a collection of sexual harassment allegations — completed a distant second to Mamdani in June.
“I’m actually sorry that I allow you to down,” Cuomo advised his supporters within the video.
“However as my grandfather used to say, whenever you get knocked down, be taught the lesson and decide your self again up and get within the recreation, and that’s what I’ll do,” he stated.
“The overall election is in November, and I’m in it to win it.”
Regardless of receiving a tepid reception from nationwide Democratic leaders and energy brokers cautious of his leftist views, Mamdani is broadly considered because the candidate to beat within the race for mayor of the closely Democratic metropolis.
Recent polls present Cuomo trailing Mamdani.
Mayor Eric Adams, who gained his workplace as a Democrat however is searching for re-election as an unbiased, lags far behind in these polls, as does Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa, and Jim Walden, who can be operating as an unbiased.
Adams noticed his already-low public approval scores fall as he confronted prosecution on felony corruption fees. They sank even decrease when the U.S. Division of Justice controversially requested a choose to dismiss the case in order that the mayor may cooperate with the enforcement of President Donald Trump‘s immigration insurance policies.
Cuomo’s Monday marketing campaign rollout featured an uncommon proposal: that the remainder of the sector pledge to consolidate across the strongest non-Mamdani contender earlier than Election Day.
“Our frequent objective have to be to run the strongest candidate towards Mr. Mamdani,” Cuomo stated in an e mail to supporters.
“That’s the reason I’ve accepted the proposal put forth by former Governor David Paterson and candidate Jim Walden that, in mid-September, we are going to decide which candidate is strongest towards Mamdani and all different candidates will stand down, moderately than act as spoilers and assure Mamdani’s election.”
Cuomo famous that simply 13% of the town’s voters solid ballots within the Democratic main, suggesting that Mamdani will face a harder time within the basic election.
“All of us who love New York Metropolis have to be united in operating the strongest attainable candidate towards Zohran Mamdani within the November basic election for mayor,” Cuomo stated.