Rep. Nick Langworthy, previously the chair of the New York State Republican Party and an ally of President Trump, has decided to endorse Andrew Cuomo for mayor over Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, all in an effort to stop Zoran Mamdani, whom he labeled as a “communist.”
Langworthy, who is running for mayor as an independent after serving three terms as governor, believes he stands a better chance against Mamdani in the election set for November 4 than Sliwa does.
“This is about saving the city from communism,” Langworthy expressed in an interview. He acknowledged that he has had his share of conflicts with Cuomo, but firmly believes Cuomo would be a preferable choice over someone he considers a communist.
According to Langworthy, polling indicates Cuomo is performing better than Sliwa, with some surveys showing him lagging behind Mamdani, the leading Democratic candidate, by 10 points. Mamdani describes himself as a democratic socialist.
“There’s only one candidate who can realistically challenge Mamdani, and that’s Andrew Cuomo. He certainly knows how to run a government… He’s a far better choice than the alternative, which would be Mamdani and a Democratic Socialist agenda controlling the city without any checks,” he elaborated.
Langworthy, who transitioned to Congress in 2022, represents Western New York’s 23rd District, an area extending from Binghamton to near Buffalo. He mentioned that he feels the dynamics of the mayoral race in New York City will resonate throughout the state.
Rep. Mike Lawler, a fellow Republican from the Hudson Valley region, has also backed Cuomo over Mamdani and Sliwa.
However, Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, the only Republican in New York City, has voiced her support for Sliwa, whose district includes parts of Staten Island and southern Brooklyn.
Interestingly, President Trump, known for being a significant Republican figure and a native of New York, hasn’t shown any support for Sliwa. In fact, he previously critiqued Sliwa, suggesting that Cuomo might actually have a better shot at victory.
This lack of endorsement from Trump might encourage other Republicans to align with Cuomo.
“But maybe Sliwa will step aside, allowing Cuomo some chance, though it doesn’t seem likely given Mamdani’s current lead,” Trump commented last week. He added, “I prefer a Democrat to a communist,” when discussing the mayoral candidates.
Sliwa, meanwhile, has dismissed advice from certain groups to withdraw from the race.
