Cuomo Launches Independent NYC Mayoral Bid After Primary Loss to Zohran Mamdani

Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is launching an independent general election campaign for New York City mayor after losing the Democratic primary last month to socialist Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani.

Cuomo announced his general election campaign Monday in a video acknowledging his shocking primary defeat — but made sure to note the low overall turnout in the June contest.

"The fight to save our city isn’t over," Cuomo said. "Only 13 percent of New Yorkers voted in the June primary."

"My opponent, Mr. Mamdani, offers slick slogans but no real solutions," Cuomo added. "Every day I'm going to be hitting the streets meeting you where you are to hear the good and the bad. Problems and solutions. Because for the next few months, it's my responsibility to earn your vote."

Cuomo's name will appear on the general election ballot under the "Fight and Deliver" party he made in case he lost the Democratic primary. Mamdani posted a donation link to his campaign in the replies to Cuomo's video.

Mamdani defeated Cuomo by more than 12 percentage points in the final round of ranked-choice voting after campaigning on freezing the rents of rent-stabilized apartments and providing free services to New Yorkers, including bus transportation and childcare. The socialist upstart's campaign focused on affordability and had similar anti-establishment, populist messages to leftist campaigns elsewhere. In contrast, Cuomo largely portrayed himself as a pragmatist and sought to take advantage of the name recognition he garnered from his decade as the Empire State's governor.

Cuomo led the polls for the entire campaign leading up to election day and gained significant support from outside donors. Mamdani's unexpected surge thwarted Cuomo's attempt at a political comeback after he resigned in August 2021 due to allegations of sexual harassment and the excess nursing home deaths under his watch during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Early on, Mamdani is leading the general election polls against Cuomo, current Mayor Eric Adams, and GOP candidate Curtis Sliwa. A lifelong Democrat, Adams is running as an independent following his successful push to have the Trump administration drop federal corruption charges against him. It remains to be seen whether the opposition to Mamdani will consolidate behind Cuomo or another candidate to weaken his general election prospects.

Mamdani's combination of viral TikTok-style videos and enthusiastic volunteers proved crucial in the low-turnout Democratic primary. At age 33, Mamdani's youth and charisma combined with his socialist ideas have turned him into a progressive darling and a polarizing national figure. He outperformed Cuomo with wealthy, white New Yorkers in progressive enclaves; a noted contrast to Mamdani's class-war rhetoric and emphasis on the high cost of living.

Mamdani's proposal to create government-run grocery stores has attracted criticism for being doomed to fail and potentially a vehicle for corruption and cronyism. Since the primary, Mamdani's past communist sympathies have drawn national scrutiny, mostly because his old tweets and prior interviews were resurfaced. Mamdani has faced additional criticism for his anti-Israel views and falsely claiming to be "black/African-American” on his college application to Columbia University.