Former Democrat, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, announced Saturday that he is running to become New York City’s next mayor.
Cuomo has been teasing the launch of the campaign for several weeks and is back in politics just four years after resigning as governor following multiple sexual harassment allegations.
“The first step to solving a problem is to have the courage to recognize it and we know that today our New York City is having problems,” Cuomo said in a nearly 18-minute campaign launch video posted on X.
“But New Yorkers know a simple answer as to what to do when leadership is in danger, the former governor added.
He also sprinted through the list of achievements since his time as governor, telling viewers: They weren’t. They were difficult, but they needed it. Today we need to launch a bold plan of action to turn New York City around to save our city. ”
The launch of Cuomo’s campaign comes when Mayor Eric Adams, who is also a Democrat, has been caught up in a scandal for months following a federal accusation of corruption.
The lawsuit against Adams has stagnated as the Justice Department, led by President Donald Trump’s political appointees, attempts to dismiss the charges.
A handful of other Democratic candidates, including mayor Brad Lander, former Secretary Scott Stringer, state legislative member Zoran Mamdani, state Sen. Jessica Ramos and Zellner Miley, are also running ahead of the June 24th primary, challenging the path to Adams’ second term.
In a statement minutes after Cuomo launched the campaign, Stringer blasted the former governor, who said, “treated New York City like a personal punching bag, slashing MTA funds, and trying to focus money on upstate ski resorts, cutting Medicaid funds for public school children and city residents. And now, do you want New Yorkers to rehabilitate his reputation? Take a break.”
Before resigning in 2021, the former governor enjoyed a high recognition rating, particularly amid the Covid-19 pandemic, giving New Yorkers almost a day briefing, with his brother Chris Cuomo being the anchor.
However, Cuomo faced a bipartisan call as allegations of sexual harassment emerged by nine state employees.
A 2021 report, written by state attorney general Leticia James, alleged that Cuomo harassed 11 women, exposing some of them to uninvited emotion and groping.
In his resignation speech, Cuomo told New Yorkers: There are generational and cultural changes that I wasn’t fully grateful for. ”
He also said at the time he resigned not because of the allegations but saying, “wasting energy on distractions is the last thing the government should do.”
In the launch video for his campaign on Saturday, Cuomo appears to nodded to past allegations against him, saying, “Have I always done everything right over the years of government service? Of course not. Knowing what I know now, will I do some things differently? Surely. Have I made a mistake? Some painful, undoubtedly, and I believe I’ve learned from them.
Before he launched the campaign on Saturday, Cuomo had already won approval from DN.Y. Rep. Ritchie Torres. He has the courage to stand up to extremist politics – from both the far left and far right. ”
“America loves comebacks, New York loves comebacks,” added Torres.
Cuomo held its first campaign event at a Dominican restaurant in the Bronx on Saturday. At the event he was approved by New York council member Yudelka Tapia. The district includes parts of the Bronx.
“Too many times, the needs of my constituents are ignored. It wasn’t when Andrew Cuomo was governor,” Tapia said in a statement. “He will pass historic laws, raise the minimum wage, protect tenants, and keep the streets safe.”
