South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn, once the highest-ranking Black member of Congress, on Friday endorsed former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary for NYC mayor — another sign the local race is drawing national attention.
Clyburn, in a statement, said Cuomo is the candidate best positioned to lead the Big Apple — and potentially the national Democratic Party as well. Cuomo is the frontrunner in the June 24 mayoral primary — his first run for public office since stepping down as governor in 2021 following 11 accusations of sexual misconduct that he denies.
The Congress member, who served a crucial role in securing the Democratic nomination for former President Joe Biden in the 2020 election, said he has known Cuomo ever since the former governor served as US Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under former President Bill Clinton in the 1990s. He praised Cuomo as an effective leader with a track record of getting things done as governor, who will do the same as mayor.
“Andrew does not just go along to get along,” Clyburn said. “He searches for solutions and builds coalitions to reach common ground. If he says he will build more affordable housing, raise the minimum wage, make the city safer and create more opportunities for our youth, you can be confident that he will — because he’s done it before.”
Clyburn also views Cuomo as someone who could possibly lead the Democratic Party in the near future as it continues to reckon with President Trump “challenging the pillars of our democracy.”
“The mayor of New York is uniquely positioned to play an important role in the future of the National Democratic Party,” Clyburn said. “Andrew Cuomo has the experience, credentials, and character to not just serve New York, but also help save the nation. He has my wholehearted support, and I urge my fellow Democrats to vote for him and do so enthusiastically,”
Clyburn’s backing of Cuomo comes after US Sen. Bernie Sanders also weighed in on the mayor’s race earlier this week, throwing his support behind Cuomo’s fiercest challenger — Queens Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani. Sanders, a democratic socialist representing Vermont, framed Mamdani as the candidate of the working class and Cuomo is the pick of billionaires — due to the astronomical influx of donations to a super PAC supporting his campaign.
U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, another progressive champion with a national profile, also endorsed Mamdani earlier this month.
While Cuomo is still leading in most polls, Mamdani has closed the once wide gap between them significantly. A Marist College poll released Wednesday had Cuomo leading with 38% of likely Democratic voters to Mamdani’s 27%. Cuomo wins in the final round of its ranked-choice voting simulation with 55% to Mamdani’s 45%.
The two leading contenders have been relentlessly attacking one another in the final days of the campaign.
Cuomo has blasted Mamdani for his lack of government experience and not condemning the phrase “globalize the intifada,” which many Jewish people see as a call to violence against them. Mamdani has ripped Cuomo for his super PAC — known as “Fix the City” — that has raised millions of dollars from Trump-aligned donors and real estate industry players.
