Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo seems to be gearing up for a run as a Democratic candidate for mayor of New York City. Recent polling from Marist College indicates that Cuomo is ahead with 44% of the vote, significantly surpassing his closest competitor, Zohran Mamdani, who has 22%. This lead has been consistent across all six rounds of ranked-choice voting, with Cuomo maintaining a margin of about 20 to 24%.
Interestingly, Marist’s findings revealed that two other Democrats, City Council Chairman Adrienne Adams and City Comptroller Brad Lander, are likely to capture double-digit percentages as well. However, Adams was eliminated in the fourth round, and Lander followed in the fifth, leaving only candidates polling in single digits as the first round wrapped up.
Despite his favorable position in the polls, Cuomo’s campaign is facing some hurdles. He missed out on crucial matching funds and the New York City Campaign Finance Board pointed out that at least 20% of Cuomo’s disclosure documents contained errors regarding contributions. Moreover, his campaign didn’t meet the criteria requiring contributions from at least 1,000 separate individuals.
Cuomo’s campaign has attributed these setbacks to “technical software errors.” Just recently, his team was docked over $622,000 in matching funds associated with previous inconsistencies, marking yet another financial issue for the former governor.
Critics have been vocal about his past controversies, particularly his resignation in 2021 and how he managed the Covid-19 pandemic. Current Mayor Eric Adams has called for clarity on the allegations regarding Cuomo’s handling of nursing home deaths during the pandemic, suggesting that these matters shouldn’t outright disqualify him but that families affected deserve transparency about what transpired.
Interestingly, while Adams is seeking re-election, he has positioned himself as an independent, noting that he is not contesting under the Democratic banner. He has acknowledged that turning around his numbers for a successful campaign is a challenge.
