City Comptroller Brad Lander and Queens Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani officially cross-endorsed each other Friday in the race for mayor, uniting in an effort to defeat former Gov. Andrew Cuomo as early voting begins Saturday for the June 24 Democratic primary.
In a joint statement, the candidates called their alliance “a joint commitment to make New York more affordable and safer — and defeat disgraced Andrew Cuomo.”
The two progressive Democrats urged their supporters to rank the other candidate second on their ballots and not to rank Cuomo at all under the city’s ranked-choice voting system.
Ranked-choice voting has been widely embraced in this year’s mayoral race, with many elected officials and political groups endorsing slates of candidates instead of a single pick. Among them is the New York Working Families Party, which released a ranked roster of candidates in an effort to block Cuomo from winning. A separate effort, known as the “Don’t Rank Evil Andrew for Mayor,” or DREAM campaign, is asking voters to leave Cuomo off their ballots without endorsing a particular slate.
“At this critical moment in the mayoral election, with early voting starting tomorrow, it has become increasingly clear that Lander and Mamdani are the two challengers to Cuomo who can win this race, and restore integrity and progressive values back to New York City’s government,” the candidates said in the statement.
Lander said the cross-endorsement is meant to prevent the kind of division among progressives he believes helped Eric Adams win the mayoralty in 2021.
“After four years of Eric Adams, New York deserves a mayor with integrity, who puts New Yorkers’ needs ahead of their own,” Lander said. “Four years ago, we wound up with one of the worst mayors in our history, largely because the two top alternatives in the race did not come together and join forces to cross-endorse each other. We can’t afford to make that mistake again.”
Mamdani echoed that sentiment, referencing Thursday night’s fiery debate – which saw Cuomo swap jabs with the pair – as a turning point in the race
“As Brad and I exposed the ex-Governor’s record of corruption and scandal on last night’s debate stage, New Yorkers could see Cuomo for what he really is: a relic of the broken politics of the past,” Mamdani said. “His campaign has always been a house of cards, and with Brad and I cross-endorsing on the eve of early voting, we will topple it together.”
Cuomo’s campaign spokesperson, Rich Azzopardi, told amNewYork Friday’s cross endorsement came as “no surprise.”
“The two have been attached at the hip for months, but it won’t move the needle, said Azzopardi. “The public is clamoring for leadership to take real action to make the city safer and more affordable and to protect New Yorkers from Trump. They know Andrew Cuomo is the only one with the experience and the record to get the city back on the right track.”
Lander said Thursday he now sees the race as a three-way contest between himself, Mamdani and Cuomo, after an editorial board panel at The New York Times named him the “best overall pick” for mayor. He has been polling in third or fourth place in recent weeks, behind Mamdani and Cuomo. City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams has also polled competitively in some surveys. A poll released Wednesday night showed Mamdani leading Cuomo by four points — the first time any survey has shown the Democratic socialist candidate ahead of the former governor.
After Thursday’s debate, Speaker Adams told reporters she believed the soft questions she received from state Sen. Zellnor Myrie and former Comptroller Scott Stringer may signal that they are seeking her endorsement. Myrie, when asked about it, told reporters to “stay tuned.”
Cuomo, meanwhile, has received one-way backings from two candidates still in the race in a coordinated effort to block Mamdani.
State Sen. Jessica Ramos, once a vocal Cuomo critic, announced she would urge her supporters to back the former governor, saying Mamdani does not meet the moment. Whitney Tilson also backed Cuomo during Thursday night’s debate, saying he would rank him second on the ballot.
