Cuomo Jokes About Moving to Florida After Election Loss
Former Governor Andrew Cuomo humorously mentioned that he might pack up and head to Florida during a breakfast event in the Hamptons on Saturday. “That’s it. We’ll either win or move to Florida. God forbids!” he quipped while addressing business leaders and other notable figures, hosted by supermarket executive John Catsimatidis.
This comment elicited laughter from attendees, with Cuomo’s campaign later clarifying he was just joking. “It was a great line,” one participant remarked. “It certainly caught everyone’s attention.”
Cuomo, who lost the Democratic primary to Zoran Mamdani last month, had referred to the 33-year-old socialist candidate as a “child” throughout the breakfast event, which took place at Hotspot 75 Main, gearing up for the upcoming general election.
The former governor has criticized Mamdani’s rent-freezing proposal for stable apartments, calling it a “death sentence” for the housing market.
Mamdani’s campaign did not respond to inquiries regarding Cuomo’s remarks.
Cuomo also aimed remarks at Mayor Adams, another Democrat seeking re-election as an independent. He stated that since Michael Bloomberg left office in 2013, New York City has lacked “competent mayors.” Adams himself has faced scrutiny over claims that he “failed to concentrate” during his tenure, partly due to a now-closed federal corruption investigation.
In Cuomo’s view, the city currently “feels out of control.”
The gathering included various influential figures, such as real estate mogul Bruce Mozler and former US ambassador to Greece George Tunnis.
Cuomo’s spokesperson, Rich Azzopaldi, reiterated that the comment about moving to Florida was indeed a joke. “Governor Cuomo will never give up on New York,” Azzopaldi asserted, while also emphasizing that Cuomo’s statement reflected the seriousness of future elections and the risks of electing inexperienced candidates with unrealistic proposals.
Mayor Adams, in response to Cuomo’s remarks, stated that he wouldn’t leave New York even if a socialist was at the helm, adding that Cuomo had already spent a considerable amount of time in the Hamptons during the campaign.
