Andrew Cuomo: Favourite choice for pro-Israel voices jumps back into NYC mayoral race

He was New York's governor for a decade until he resigned in 2021, following allegations of sexual harassment from at least 11 women. 

During that same period, he was also alleged to have undercounted the number of Covid-19 deaths in nursing homes by some 50 percent, even as he gained worldwide recognition for his daily press briefings during New York's pandemic lockdown. 

But Andrew Cuomo just won't quit. 

Last month, he was handily beaten in the Democratic mayoral primary by newcomer and self-described "Democratic Socialist" Zohran Mamdani. It was, by all accounts, a stunning upset for a man from a political dynasty who thought the candidacy - and the job - was his for the taking.

Cuomo conceded the race before it was called, when the numbers showed he wouldn't be able to catch up to his rival. But on Monday, he jumped right back in, this time as an Independent candidate, vowing that he was "in it to win it".

In a 90-second video that seemed to mimic what has been a resoundingly successful campaign approach adopted by 33-year-old Mamdani, the 67-year-old Cuomo is seen in a casual summer button-down shirt, shaking hands with New Yorkers as he walks down the street. 

"My opponent Mandani offers slick slogans, but no real solutions," Cuomo said in the video, once again mispronouncing Mamdani's name as he did repeatedly during their primary debate.

"You deserve a mayor with the experience and ideas to make [affordability] happen," he added, referring to Mamdani's key campaign promise but also his relative lack of political experience. 

In a letter Cuomo sent to supporters, cited by The New York Times, he acknowledged that he "played it safe, believing in the polls that said our campaign was way ahead".

“I was not aggressive enough in communicating my vision for a fairer, safer, more affordable New York, or in debunking and exposing Zohran Mamdani’s unrealistic proposals and divisive agenda. I promise you, I will not make that mistake again," he said. 

One of the biggest shortcomings of his initial campaign was not making himself available to reporters and strictly sticking to a script, The New York Times also reported. 

And despite outside groups pulling together well over $25m from hedge funders and billionaire CEOs to back his candidacy, Cuomo still only took in 44 percent of the votes compared to Mamdani's 56 percent.

Palestinian rights

Cuomo was also backed by the old guard of the Democratic establishment, including former president Bill Clinton and Senate Minority Leader and New York Senator Chuck Schumer.

They all congratulated Mamdani, but refused to endorse him after he won the party nomination.

This was in large part due to Mamdani's support for the Palestinian liberation movement, which also calls for a one-state solution with equal rights for all citizens. 

More than one million Jewish people reside in New York City alone, the largest number outside of Israel. Some are dual US-Israeli citizens. 

Cuomo has repeatedly emphasised his pro-Israel credentials and was accused by Mamdani's people of running an Islamophobic campaign. 

Brad Lander, the city comptroller and highest-ranking Jewish official in New York, echoed that accusation during his own campaign for the Democratic mayoral nomination.

On Monday, while reposting Cuomo's video on X, Lander said the vote "did not go the way I had hoped either", but that "unlike Andrew Cuomo, I’m capable of listening to New Yorkers" who rejected him the first time around. 

Cuomo and Netanyahu

Cuomo has long been the favoured choice for the pro-Israel camp among Democrats, but he more firmly embedded himself in the movement last year, when he formed the group "Never Again, NOW!" in light of the 7 October 2023 Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel, which led to the deaths of around 1,200 people, and subsequent start of the war on Gaza.

Since then, Israel has killed more than 58,000 Palestinians, nearly half of whom were children. 

In November, Cuomo joined the legal team to defend Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza, after a warrant was issued for Netanyahu by the International Criminal Court (ICC). 

"I am proud to be on the legal defense for the prime minister against the arrest warrant at the ICC and I am proud to stand against antisemitism," Cuomo said at the time. 

Mamdani, meanwhile, pledged to have Netanyahu arrested should he ever set foot in New York City. 

The general election to decide New York City's next mayor is on 4 November.

The current mayor and scandal-plagued former police chief, Eric Adams, will also be running for re-election as an Independent. He was previously charged with accepting bribes from Turkish officials, but when the Trump administration came into power, those charges were dropped.