Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo could be stepping back into the ring. Given the state of New York City politics, it isn’t clear whether that is a boxing ring, a circus ring — or a mix of both.
Cuomo is expected to announce his run for New York City mayor next week, reports Tara Rosenblum of the local outlet News12.
His potential entry into the 2025 NYC mayoral race — with primaries scheduled for this June — adds another storyline to an already spectacle-filled moment in the city’s politics as the incumbent mayor, Eric Adams, faces calls to step down amid accusations of a deal with the Trump administration to drop his corruption case.
From New York’s Favorite Son to Pariah
Cuomo too is no stranger to controversy. The son of three-term Governor Mario Cuomo, Andrew Cuomo served in the same role for nearly 11 years until his resignation in 2021 after an investigation led by Attorney General Letitia James concluded that he sexually harassed 11 women.
But that wasn’t the only scandal that dogged the former governor. Cuomo was also penalized — until the decision was overturned — for a lucrative book deal about his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. A state public ethics board alleged that he improperly used state resources to complete the 2020 book, for which he received a $5.1 million advance.
The fallout from 2021 extended to his younger brother, Chris Cuomo, who lost his job at CNN after revelations that the prime-time talk show host actively aided his brother’s defense.
Cuomo Leads the Circus
Despite the controversies, the Cuomo brand has proven resilient. He has led NYC mayoral election public opinion polls since last year.
In a February poll by Emerson College, Cuomo is the first choice of 33% of those surveyed. The closest of the eight remaining candidates named, the incumbent Adams, trails with just 10%.
However, New York City’s use of ranked-choice voting likely ensures that the race will be crowded — and unpredictable. New York voters will be able to choose up to five candidates in order of preference. Cuomo might be New York political royalty, but the mayoral race will be no coronation.
Anything Can Happen in NYC
The race could become even more crowded, as New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams may also join the fray. Attorney General James, who helped bring down Cuomo, is pushing for Speaker Adams to run, Politico reports.
As for the other Adams, the incumbent mayor is showing no signs of standing down, even as four deputy mayors resigned this week in protest of what many argue is a quid pro quo with the Trump administration. After being cleared of criminal charges by the Trump Department of Justice, Adams took steps to dilute New York’s migrant sanctuary city policy.
The New York Times reports that Adams has mulled running for re-election as a Republican in the 2025 mayoral race.
As for Cuomo, he continues to line up key endorsements, including from his 2002 Democratic gubernatorial primary opponent H. Carl McCall — a former state comptroller and prominent black American.
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