Putting aside past vitriol, Mayor Eric Adams endorsed Andrew Cuomo for mayor on Thursday.
Adams formally endorsed Cuomo, the Democratic former governor running as an independent, during a joint Harlem news conference on Thursday, hours after The New York Times first reported on the endorsement.
Adams, who suspended his reelection bid late last month, threw his support behind Cuomo in a last-ditch effort to help the moderate former governor consolidate voters to overcome Democratic nominee and frontrunner Zohran Mamdani, who is ahead in the polls by double digits.
“I’m fighting for the family of New York,” Adams said. “That’s why I’m here today to endorse Andrew Cuomo to be part of this fight, and I’m going to give him my all these next few days.”
Hizzoner cast Mamdani as an existential threat to the city, arguing that his campaign platform, built on creating or expanding free social services, is a false promise. He also charged that Mamdani — who has lived in the city since he was seven — is supported by “gentrifiers.”
“We’re fighting against a snake oil salesman that has sold us a bill of goods,” Adams said of Mamdani. “And who is this base of support? Gentrifiers. Gentrifiers have raised the rent in this city and disrespected communities for far too long, and he’s the king of the gentrifier.”
Adams sees Cuomo as a ‘brother’
While not necessarily surprising, considering their centrist positions on most issues, Adams’ endorsement came just two months after he publicly criticized Cuomo — calling him “a snake and a liar” after reports indicated the mayor was considering stepping out of the race for a job offer, possibly with the Trump administration.
The mayor had also slammed Cuomo as a “spoiled brat” and dinged him for allegedly having a history of tanking the candidacies of Black politicians like himself.
Yet on Thursday, Adams referred to Cuomo as a “brother.”
“Brothers fight … but when families are attacked, brothers come together,” Adams said. “They understand that you have to protect the family.”
Cuomo, who had taken many shots at Adams before he dropped out of the race, applauded the mayor for putting his “personal ambition and ego aside to make sure he’s doing everything he can to make sure New York stays New York.”
“I applaud him for that and I have great respect over that,” Cuomo said.
Cuomo said they are both lifelong Democrats, while Mamdani is a democratic socialist.
“Zohran is not a Democrat; democratic socialist is a different thing,” Cuomo said.
Adams, who had consistently polled last in the four-man general election, finally withdrew from the race in late September.
With his nod of support, as the Times reported Thursday, it appears Adams has mended fences with the man he once blamed for boxing him out of the mayor’s race.
Both Adams and Cuomo were pictured sitting courtside at a New York Knicks game on Wednesday night, shortly after Cuomo shared the stage with Mamdani and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa in the final general election debate.
What does it mean for the race?
Adams’ endorsement could help Cuomo pick up some of his supporters who have hesitated to get behind the former governor even after he exited the race. He told the Times that he plans to campaign alongside Cuomo in the final week and a half of the race, particularly in “Black and brown communities.”
Cuomo said he believes Adams can help him make up the difference.
“New Yorkers vote, I win,” he said. “What we want to do is just make sure New Yorkers know how important this election is and what’s at stake, and get New Yorkers up and out to vote.”
In recent weeks, Hizzoner has seemingly ramped up his rhetoric against Mamdani since ending his own bid, warning the democratic socialist frontrunner’s likely ascent to City Hall could undo his administration’s accomplishments.
However, based on recent polls, it remains unclear how many more voters Adams, a historically unpopular mayor, can attract to Cuomo’s side, in addition to those who have already backed him.
For instance, a Quinnipiac poll earlier this month showed that Cuomo picked up much of Adams’ support soon after he dropped out, which boosted his standing by 10%. Still, that increase was not enough to get within striking distance of Mamdani, who had 46% of support in the survey and a 13-point lead in the three-man field.
Further complicating matters for Cuomo is Sliwa’s refusal to withdraw from the race. The former governor has said it will be very difficult for him to overcome Mamdani without Sliwa’s voters defecting to him and has been publicly pushing for the Republican to suspend his candidacy for the last week.
As for Mamdani, he reacted to the news of Adams’ endorsement in a statement that suggested “Andrew Cuomo is running for Eric Adams’ second term,” a line he’s previously used.
“It’s no surprise to see two men who share an affinity for corruption and Trump capitulation align themselves at the behest of the billionaire class and the President himself,” Mamdani said.
