Queens State Sen. and mayoral candidate Jessica Ramos made the shocking move on Friday of endorsing frontrunner Andrew Cuomo — whom she was a harsh critic of up until very recently — in the June 24 Democratic primary.
Ramos, a progressive lawmaker representing parts of western Queens, first announced the move to the New York Times, and then stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Cuomo during a press conference at the District Council of Carpenters’ lower Manhattan offices on June 6. While Ramos said she will reamin in the race, in which she has failed to gain the money or endorsements to run a competitive campaign, her support of Cuomo was effectively an acknowledgement that he has a strong chance of winning.
During the event, Ramos said that the race has come down to two candidates, Cuomo and Democratic socialist Queens Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani — who is polling in second place. She said that out of the two, Cuomo is the only contender with the governing and managerial experience to take on President Trump, while Mamdani’s strength as a progressive communicator does not meet the moment.
“We need serious governing, we need delivery over dogma, knowing how to govern matters, and that’s why I’m endorsing Andrew Cuomo for mayor,” Ramos said, which was packed with members of unions supporting Cuomo’s campaign. “This wasn’t an easy decision for all of the reasons you already know, but it’s a responsible decision. I looked at the field, I see people I respect. I see energy and ideas. But we need much more than performative politics.”
Cuomo, for his part, described Ramos as an “true progressive” who has “always stood true to her principles.” But during a question-and-answer session with reporters following the event, Cuomo made clear that the endorsement is only going one way.
“She is endorsing me. I’m not endorsing her,” Cuomo said.
Neither Ramos nor Cuomo would say if he has promised her a job in his administration if he wins the primary and the November general election.
“We haven’t talked about it, but I am a fan of the senator’s,” Cuomo said.
The endorsement is a surprising about-face, given that Ramos, less than three months ago, charged that “Andrew Cuomo can’t fight Donald Trump because he’s just like him.” She also blasted Cuomo for accepting contributions from donors who have given to Trump, accused him of disowning parts of his record as governor, and alleged he is running for mayor simply to redeem himself politically.
“If you’re looking for a champion in Cuomo, because you think of him as a bully who could stand up to Trump, that man is gone,” she said during a March 27 news conference. “New Yorkers need a mayor, not a has been on a comeback tour.”
During that same March news conference, Ramos alleged — without evidence — that his mental acuity is “diminished” and that “we can’t afford another Joe Biden moment.” She was referring to the diminished mental accuity of former President Biden on the campaign trail during the 2024 presidential election.
Ramos also repeated the claims during an April the New York Post Editorial Board interview.
However, when asked about those comments on Friday, Ramos responded “he’s going to be able to put together a very serious cabinet full of talented New Yorkers who know how to get work done.”
She was also one of many lawmakers who called on Cuomo to resign in 2021 following him being hit with nearly a dozen accusations of sexual misconduct that he denies. Therefore, her backing could help sway some women voters reluctant to support him over the scandal that brought down his administration.
The senator’s decision to back Cuomo comes after she failed to gain any meangingful support among the city’s labor unions and progressive groups. Most of the big unions backed Cuomo and the New York Working Families Party did not initially include Ramos in the slate of candidates it unveiled in April and only added her to its ranked list in fifth place last week.
In a Friday statement, the WFP said “We are sad and disappointed that State Sen. Jessica Ramos has decided to endorse the candidate favored by Trump’s billionaire donors. But we won’t be distracted by this desperate move.” The party then dropped Ramos from its slate Friday evening, after several other progressive organizations that included her in their rankings had done the same.
The alliance also shows why Ramos appeared to be laying off of Cuomo in the first debate of the race on Wednesday night. During the two-hour event, Ramos trained her attacks on Mamdani and other progressive instead of Cuomo.
In his own Friday morning press conference, said he is also “dissappointed” in Ramos endorsing Cuomo.
“To see him continue to be legitimized is something that will always trouble me, especially given the fact that we have run this campaign, many of us as candidates, being crystal clear that while each of us thinks we will make the best next mayor of New York, we all share the agreement that it should not be Andrew Cuomo,” Mamdani told reporters.
