(The Center Square) – Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Saturday that he will run for mayor of New York City.
Cuomo, a Democrat who resigned as governor in 2021 amid sexual harassment allegations, announced his run in a video he posted to X.
Acknowledging the city’s many problems, Cuomo said “you feel it when you walk down the street and try not to make eye contact with a mentally ill homeless person, or when the anxiety rises up in your chest as you’re walking down into the subway. You see it in the empty storefronts, the graffiti, the grime, the migrant influx, the random violence. The city just feels threatening, out of control and in crisis.”
Cuomo said he would hire more police officers and be tougher on crime. He pointed to his management of the COVID-19 pandemic as governor, though he was heavily criticized by many, particularly over his decision to send sick patients to nursing homes.
In October, a state House panel recommended Cuomo be brought up on criminal charges for providing false statements about his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, as The Center Square recently reported.
Cuomo joins a crowded field of candidates running in the Democrat primary, including incumbent New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who was indicted on federal bribery, fraud and conspiracy charges in September 2024. In February, the U.S. Department of Justice under the new Trump administration halted the prosecution of Adams, pending a review of the case.
Also running as Democrats in the mayoral primary are New York Assemblyman and Vice Chairman of the Democratic National Committee Michael Blake, NYC Comptroller Brad Landry, among others.
The Democratic primary is scheduled June 24, with the general election scheduled Nov 4.
