Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo plans run for New York City mayor

NEW YORK >> Three years after resigning the governorship in a cloud of scandal, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is making final preparations to run for mayor of New York City and could announce his candidacy as soon as this weekend, according to four people familiar with the planning.

Publicly, Cuomo, a Democrat, continues to guard his intentions closely, avoiding media interviews and unscripted public events. He has been conspicuously silent on the scandal engulfing his potential opponent, Mayor Eric Adams.

But behind the scenes, the former governor has taken increasingly assertive steps to line up a long-anticipated comeback attempt that would instantly reshape the race to unseat Adams in June’s Democratic primary.

Wealthy donors have committed to host fundraisers at Manhattan apartments as soon as March 4. Cuomo has personally begun prodding additional Democrats to publicly back him — including the Queens borough president, Donovan Richards, and the Manhattan party chair, Keith L.T. Wright — as he tries to extend a rollout of high-profile endorsements that began with one from his former rival, H. Carl McCall.

And he is expected to tap the political director of the New York City carpenters union to take on a senior campaign role.

The moves reflect a growing confidence among Cuomo and his allies that they have a clear path to City Hall. Elected officials, labor bosses and business leaders who have spoken to him said Cuomo has framed a potential candidacy as an opportunity to “save” New York City from four years of scandal, unease about public safety and an emboldened President Donald Trump.

Like other people familiar with his plans, many requested anonymity to detail private conversations with Cuomo.

“I have no doubt that he is going to run,” Kathryn Wylde, the chief of the Wall Street-backed Partnership for New York City, said after a recent sit-down with Cuomo.

“Many in the business community feel that he is the person who can best manage the city and the relationship with President Trump,” she added.

People involved in the potential Cuomo campaign have told associates that they are trying to line up a public launch in early March, most likely involving a scripted video.

But those who have known Cuomo for decades cautioned that it was still possible he would decide not to run. Like his father, who famously left two planes idling on an Albany, New York, tarmac as he waffled over a run for president, Cuomo has never been quick to reach decisions about his political future.

Rich Azzopardi, a spokesperson for Cuomo, declined to comment on the former governor’s intentions.

Those who have spoken with him in recent days, though, came away with the impression that Cuomo’s delay in entering the mayor’s race had more to do with strategy than indecision.

By waiting, Cuomo has shortened the window before the June 24 primary for his prospective opponents to build a case against him and for news media to scrutinize his record.

Cuomo, 67, could face attacks for a long list of past alleged transgressions, including accusations that he sexually harassed several state employees and covered up the number of COVID-related nursing home deaths. He has consistently denied any wrongdoing and spent years fighting in court and the public sphere to clear his name, notching some victories along the way.

While polls show Cuomo leading Adams and a field of seven other Democratic rivals, it remains to be seen whether New York City voters are willing to replace one scandal-plagued Democrat in City Hall with another. A pollster working for an anti-Cuomo group, United for a Brighter Tomorrow, argued in an opinion essay that Cuomo’s support could quickly erode once voters were reminded of his record.

Cuomo’s opponents have not waited to attack him. One of them, state Sen. Zellnor Myrie, recently launched a website counting the days since Cuomo had spoken publicly about Adams or Trump.

“In the past 35 days, when the city has seen funding for hospitals, schools and senior centers threatened; when our literal sovereignty has been in question,” Myrie said, “he has said nothing.”

A representative for Adams, who maintains that he can still win a second term, declined to comment.

Cuomo is relying on a tight circle of longtime advisers, including three who once served as his top aide in Albany. Steven M. Cohen has taken the lead putting together a super political action committee to support Cuomo’s candidacy if he runs. William J. Mulrow is expected to serve in a senior role, such as campaign chair. And Melissa DeRosa is said to be effectively running the campaign.

Cuomo is poised to bring on additional help, too. Kevin Elkins, the political director for the New York City carpenters union, has been in discussions to take on a senior role with the campaign, according to two people familiar with the matter. They cautioned personnel decisions had yet to be finalized, but Elkins’ involvement has been viewed as a sign that the influential labor group could back Cuomo. Elkins did not reply to a request for comment.

Cuomo, a prolific fundraiser as governor, appears to be calling on old supporters for financial backing.

Charles Myers, the chair of Signum Global Advisors and a prominent Democratic donor, is scheduled to host an event for Cuomo on March 4 at his Upper East Side apartment, according to an invitation obtained by The New York Times and first reported by Politico.

The invitation does not explicitly call the event a fundraiser, and Myers did not respond to requests for comment. But it treats Cuomo as a likely candidate. Other donors said they were waiting to circulate invites until Cuomo entered the race.

“More than ever, NYC needs effective, fearless leadership to defend our city and those critical values,” Myers wrote in the invitation.

In the meantime, the former governor has been packing his schedule with breakfasts, lunches and calls with elected officials, many of whom represent key blocs of Jewish, Black and Latino voters.

He won the endorsement on Monday of Rep. Ritchie Torres, a Bronx Democrat considering a 2026 run for governor. Several other lawmakers who have spoken with Cuomo said it was clear he was fishing for their support, even if he did not outright ask for an endorsement.

“He told me he is considering running for mayor,” said Assembly member Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, the chair of the Brooklyn Democratic Party who is among the mayor’s strongest allies. “And that he would like to continue working with me.”

Others came away with the impression Cuomo was closer to an announcement.

“If you ask me, it sounds like he’s all the way in,” Assembly member Brian Cunningham of Brooklyn said after a recent call from Cuomo.

Richards, the Queens borough president, and Wright, the Manhattan Democratic leader, have not stated their intentions. Both declined to comment further.

Cuomo and his allies appear to be trying to reach another important player in the race: Gov. Kathy Hochul. Hochul was once Cuomo’s lieutenant governor and succeeded him as governor. The two have made little secret of their mutual distrust.

Recently, intermediaries for Cuomo have tried to set up a conversation with Hochul to smooth over tensions between them, according to two people familiar with the outreach who were not authorized to discuss it. One of them said allies of Cuomo seemed interested in a nonaggression pact.

A spokesperson for Hochul declined to comment. Azzopardi disputed that characterization.

“There was no reference of a ‘pact,’” he said. “If Gov. Cuomo wants to speak to Gov. Hochul, he will call her. And if Gov. Hochul wants to speak to Gov. Cuomo, she can call him.”

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This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

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