Democratic U.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi has officially endorsed former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the New York City mayoral race after previously indicating he would not support the party’s nominee, Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani.
Suozzi, a centrist Democrat representing northeastern Queens and parts of Nassau County’s North Shore, said he shared Mamdani’s concerns about affordability but “fundamentally disagreed” with the candidate’s proposed solutions, even as top Democrats, including Gov. Kathy Hochul and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, backed Mamdani’s campaign.
With early voting underway and just five days until Election Day, Suozzi formally threw his support behind Cuomo on Wednesday as the latest polls show the former governor closing the gap on Mamdani’s sizeable lead.
“I’m a Democratic capitalist, not a Democratic socialist. I endorse Andrew Cuomo,” Suozzi wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Oct. 29. The congressman took shots at Mamdani for his agenda and having a “thin resume.”
“I cannot back a declared socialist with a thin resume to run the most complex city in America,” Suozzi said. “We need leaders who will fight crime, not undermine the police; who will create jobs, not harm the economy; who will keep taxes down, not make it more expensive for middle-class families to live here.”
In 2024, Suozzi won back his Congressional seat in a special election to replace disgraced Rep. George Santos in the 3rd Congressional District, flipping the district from red to blue. Suozzi had originally not run for re-election to Congress in 2022, instead pursuing a failed run for governor against Hochul.
The congressman is set to seek reelection next year in a very purple district, where red Republican and blue Democratic voters reside, and supporting a Democratic socialist could be a political liability in the 2026 midterms.
Welcoming the endorsement five days into early voting, Cuomo said he looks forward to partnering with Suozzi “to make our city safer, stronger, and more livable” if elected.
“I’m grateful to have Congressman Tom Suozzi’s support as we head into early voting. I’ve known Tom for many years — he’s smart, results-driven, and a true public servant who delivers for the people he represents,” Cuomo said in a statement.
Although Cuomo entered the general election with fewer endorsements than he received during the primary, he has begun to gain more high-profile backers in the closing days of the race.
On Tuesday, former Gov. David Paterson endorsed Cuomo after earlier supporting outgoing Mayor Eric Adams, who is now also backing the third-party candidate. Paterson had previously been among those who worked to unite the candidates opposing Mamdani after the Queens Assembly member, a democratic socialist, won the Democratic primary in June.
