/ CBS New York
Andrew Cuomo running for mayor of New York City
Andrew Cuomo is running for mayor of New York City, he announced Saturday afternoon, joining a crowded field that includes incumbent Mayor Eric Adams.
Cuomo, who resigned as governor of New York in 2021 after being accused of sexual harassment, began to seriously consider entering the mayor’s race last week, CBS News New York reported.
His supporters had filed paperwork to form a super PAC called “Fix the City,” designed to raise $15 million to boost his anticipated campaign.
Why did Andrew Cuomo resign as governor?
Cuomo, son of former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo, served three terms as governor before stepping down in August 2021 over allegations involving sexual misconduct and his response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cuomo was accused of sexually harassing nearly a dozen women, including some on his staff. An investigation from state Attorney General Letitia James’ office found he created a hostile work environment with offensive, suggestive comments and unwelcome, nonconsensual touching. The investigation centered around claims from 11 different women.
He has denied the allegations — at one point attributing his behavior to his Italian heritage — but he ultimately stepped down in the face of an impeachment investigation. His legal team later sued the attorney general’s office and several of his accusers.
Cuomo’s administration was also accused of lying about the number of people who died in state nursing homes during the early days of the COVID pandemic.
Cuomo drew national attention with his daily news conferences during the pandemic. While many credited him with taking charge of the situation, he was accused of directing his staff to underreport the number of nursing home deaths by nearly half.
He testified before the Republican-led House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic as recently as last fall, where lawmakers referred him to the Department of Justice for possible prosecution.
Cuomo has repeatedly said the state was following the latest federal guidelines, and his attorney, in turn, referred the subcommittee to the DOJ for allegedly abusing its power.
Many Democrats running for NYC mayor
It’s a crowded field in the race against Adams, who is running for reelection despite calls for him to resign or be removed from office over allegations he agreed to cooperate with President Trump’s immigration agenda in exchange for the Department of Justice ordering his criminal charges to be dropped — a claim the mayor and his attorney deny.
A recent poll conducted by Tusk Strategies showed Cuomo leading the pack of potential Democratic candidates with 38%, followed by Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani with 12%, Adams with 10% and six others in single digits.
Congressman Ritchie Torres, who represents a good portion of the Bronx, endorsed Cuomo, saying, “When it comes to confronting the crisis of crime, we need not a nice guy, but a tough guy like Andrew Cuomo.”
Petitioning to gather signatures goes until April 3, and the primary election will be held in June. Early voting starts June 14 and election day will be June 24.
Mark Prussin contributed to this report.
Renee Anderson is a digital producer at CBS New York, where she covers breaking news and other local stories. Before joining the team in 2016, Renee worked at WMUR-TV.
