Andrew Cuomo sees hope in NYC mayor’s race after Eric Adams’ departure. Zohran Mamdani sees Trump’s fingerprints

By Gloria Pazmino, CNN

(CNN) — Andrew Cuomo’s allies are hoping Eric Adams’ exit from the New York City mayoral race will breathe new life into their struggling campaign. Zohran Mamdani is confident that won’t happen.

Mamdani on Monday dismissed Adams’ decision to end his reelection bid as inconsequential. Speaking to CNN’s Erin Burnett, Mamdani would not say if he believed Adams had struck a deal with President Donald Trump, but he noted Trump had repeatedly pushed to narrow the field to try to help the former New York governor compete against him.

“Donald Trump is clearing the way for Andrew Cuomo because Donald Trump knows that Andrew Cuomo will clear the way for Trump’s agenda,” Mamdani said. “New Yorkers are tired of that agenda. They want someone who is actually beholden to the people of the city, not to the White House.”

Trump has repeatedly called Mamdani, a democratic socialist, a “communist” and threatened to hold back federal funding for the city if Mamdani is elected. Mamdani brushed off Trump’s insults and vowed his potential administration would fight back against any defunding.

“He’s going through the many stages of grief. First, it’s denial that this could ever take place. Now it’s acceptance and still through it all, he is looking to use every tool at his disposal to help Andrew Cuomo become the next mayor of the city,” Mamdani said.

Internally, aides to Mamdani see Adams’ exit from the race as a boost and confirmation of a central line of attack Mamdani has deployed against his chief opponent in recent weeks: That Cuomo is Trump’s chosen candidate and that his campaign represents the interests of the city’s business class, billionaire donors and real estate powers who already spent millions of dollars during the primary to try and derail Mamdani’s campaign.

Meanwhile, there was cautious optimism among members of Cuomo’s operation on Sunday. Two senior aides to Cuomo, who were granted anonymity to discuss internal conversations said the campaign, were confident Adams’ exit would help consolidate badly needed support behind the former governor including from some unions and Black supporters who were supporting Adams.

The sources said donors who could pitch in significant sums of money were also expected to help the Cuomo campaign – a crucial boon for any candidate particularly as the race enters its last stretch before the general election in New York City’s expensive media market.

Cuomo has denied any coordination with Trump on the mayoral race.

Cuomo aides are not sure they want an outright endorsement but are hoping to keep relations warm. Cuomo’s statement after Adams’ announcement praised his record despite their past differences. As of Sunday afternoon, though, Cuomo had not spoken with the mayor directly.

A senior aide to Cuomo also left open the possibility for a potential endorsement from Adams who appeared to highlighted the importance of experienced candidates in his video.

Mamdani also made a campaign stop in Manhattan where he sought to connect Cuomo to the city’s persistent problems with homelessness and highlight the former governor’s role in cutting a rental voucher program.

“We are more than happy to explain the actual facts, which Mamdani refuses to talk about,” Cuomo campaign spokesperson Rich Azzopardi said Monday. “He wants to talk about the governor’s record – fine, but he doesn’t want to talk about his own record.”

Meanwhile, Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa, a radio host whose claim to fame is founding the Guardian Angels – a vigilante watchman group that has patrolled the streets of New York City since the 1980s – showed no signs of exiting the race as of Monday.

Although Sliwa is polling ahead of Adams in the most recent surveys, Democrats largely outnumber Republicans in New York City by more than 6 to 1, making his path to victory extremely unlikely.

Sliwa, who has never held public office and has no prior government experience, has focused his campaign on public safety.

Sliwa told CNN on Monday he does not plan to leave the race. He’s claimed city business leaders have tried to offer him deals to do so.

“Businesspeople have made offers,” Sliwa told CNN. “Money for my Guardian Angels, money for my wife’s animal welfare, but I’ll put everyone on blast, I’m wired up like a Christmas tree – they know if they’re calling to make offers I will record the call. It’s not legal, it’s not ethical, and I told them I would go to (Manhattan District Attorney) Alvin Bragg with the tapes.”

The-CNN-Wire
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