Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo added yet another member of Congress to his endorsement list in the 2025 NYC Mayor’s Race.
US Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-Bronx/Manhattan) supported Cuomo in the Democratic primary along with the Coalition for Community Concerns, a group of civic and business leaders focused on northern Manhattan.
Espaillat — who had called upon Cuomo to resign in 2021 amid the sexual harassment scandal that put an end to his 10-year run as governor — said Cuomo today “is the clear choice in the mayoral race.” Cuomo denies the sexual harassment allegations.
The congressman believes that the former governor would be “a strong and proven leader who will work to bring solutions to the most pressing issues facing” the city today, including “affordability, public safety” and defending the city against federal government overreach.
“New York City must continue to be a beacon of hope and opportunity for all,” Espaillat said.
Espaillat explained that the coalition decided to endorse Cuomo after holding two candidate forums with top mayoral candidates and 150 community members and then taking a vote. The Congress member said it served as “the best example of a community coming together to advocate for a better New York.”
“I am grateful to the members of the coalition for their commitment to this process and for ensuring that issues that are front and center to their constituents in northern Manhattan and the Bronx were heard in the 2025 mayoral race,” Espaillat added.
Cuomo expressed appreciation to Espaillat and the Coalition for Community Concerns, and pledged to fight, if elected, with its members to “deliver real progress—from expanding access to affordable housing and healthcare to protecting immigrant rights and creating pathways to good-paying jobs for the people of New York City.”
Recent polls continue to give Cuomo a substantial advantage over his rivals in the June 24 Democratic primary, as he looks to complete a massive political comeback following his 2021 resignation as governor amid sexual harassment allegations, which he continues to deny to this day.
Espaillat is the third sitting Congress member from New York to endorse Cuomo for his mayoral run, joining Bronx US Rep. Ritchie Torres and Queens US Rep. Gregory Meeks. It could prove to be a crucial endorsement for the moderate former governor, given that Washington Heights and Inwood — two northern Manhattan neighborhoods which Espaillat represents — swung more toward President Trump in the 2024 presidential election.
As the primary date nears, more influential Democratic members of Congress are expected to weigh in. One of Espaillat’s Bronx colleagues, US Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, met last week with two progressive candidates — City Comptroller Brad Lander and Queens Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani — but it is unknown as to which candidate she will support, if she chooses to make an endorsement.
