In New York City, Andrew Cuomo, a candidate for mayor, has stated that he doesn’t wish to be part of the ongoing mayoral race. This comes after reports surfaced about President Trump’s efforts to reshape the candidate field.
During a press conference on Thursday, Cuomo expressed uncertainty regarding a New York Times report suggesting Trump’s advisors allegedly discussed with current Mayor Eric Adams the possibility of offering him a position in the administration to persuade him to withdraw from the race. Cuomo also noted that he hasn’t spoken to either Trump or Adams about this. The report indicated that a similar offer might be extended to Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, all aimed at enhancing the chances of defeating Zoran Mamdani come November.
Cuomo emphasized that he hadn’t sought, nor would he accept, Trump’s support. “I don’t want to be involved in anything he has to do with my race,” he mentioned, although he acknowledged that the decision on whether Adams or Sliwa continues is theirs to make.
A spokesperson for Adams commented that the mayor had not discussed any role within the president’s administration. Sliwa, on his end, reaffirmed his focus on the race in New York City, dismissing any ideas about taking a position in Washington.
Amid rising tensions, some critics of Democratic candidate Mamdani are expressing concerns about the possibility of anti-Mamdani votes being diffused across multiple candidates, which could open the door for the more leftist candidates to gain ground.
Jim Walden, an independent candidate who had called on others to unite behind the strongest contenders against Mamdani, withdrew from the race this week in hopes of avoiding any potential vote splitting. However, his presence had, realistically, only garnered a few percentage points in polling, which may not have made a significant impact in the grand scheme of things.
If candidates such as Adams and Sliwa drop out, that could really shake things up. Yet, Mamdani still remains a favored competitor in a predominantly Democratic city.
While Cuomo isn’t privy to the inner workings of Trump and Adams, he commented, “That’s not my business.” He also remarked that Mamdani seems uneasy about a one-on-one race with him.
Current polls indicate that Mamdani is leading the pack, yet none of the candidates seem to break the 50% support threshold.
Mamdani reacted to the New York Times report from Wednesday, condemning what he termed the behind-the-scenes maneuvering involving Trump, Cuomo, and Adams.
Cuomo added that if all other candidates agree that Mamdani poses an “existential threat,” then they should consider uniting behind the strongest candidate against him. He asserted that his history with Trump is very clear and that he has consistently opposed Trump during his tenure as governor.
“I think every New Yorker knows Donald Trump and his antics. I’ve always served New York well,” he concluded.
