There is not a single living elected official in the Democratic Party who Andrew Cuomo admires, the former New York governor told The New York Times in an article published Tuesday.
"Admire? None comes to mind," said Cuomo, a lifelong Democrat, when asked to choose three elected Democratic officials whom he holds in high esteem or considers "ideologically similar" to himself.
Cuomo, who is running as an independent for New York City mayor after losing the Democratic primary, said that "the Democratic Party is not meeting the moment. I think the Democratic Party has created the moment."
But Cuomo dismissed her support as a personal political calculation that was unlikely to convince many voters, telling the Times that "everybody makes a political decision on a political endorsement and what works for their politics, and that’s obviously her decision. I don’t think endorsements mean that much in campaigns anymore in general."
Cuomo said his own path to victory depends on his ability to connect Mamdani to far-left positions that are out of the mainstream for Democrats in New York but have been embraced by the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA).
Mamdani, who is a DSA member, has attempted to distance himself from the group’s national platform, which includes proposals to eliminate all misdemeanor offenses and close local jails.
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.