Andrew Cuomo received support from an unexpected source on Friday, when state Sen. Jessica Ramos — who has blasted his "mental acuity," character and record for months — reportedly endorsed his bid for New York City mayor.
According to Mediaite, Ramos branded Cuomo's campaign as the "vanity comeback tour" mere weeks ago and said his record as governor during the COVID-19 pandemic left New Yorkers in need of "mental healthcare and housing."
The Queens Democrat called Cuomo a "corrupt bully with a record of alleged sexual misconduct" in an X post from March and warned voters that electing him could lead to a "Joe Biden moment" — a reference to the former president's diminished cognitive fitness.
On Friday, however, Ramos reportedly embraced Cuomo at a campaign event and said that she's backing him in the New York City mayoral race because "he's the one best positioned right now to protect this city."
Ramos' endorsement of Cuomo comes as her own campaign for city mayor grapples with a cash crunch and low polling. Once considered a rising contender, she also wasn't one of the five rivals that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., endorsed earlier this week.
Cuomo, whose campaign previously labeled Ramos a "desperate, extreme-left socialist," hailed the endorsement and said he and the state lawmaker were "both proud Queens kids."
Mediaite reported that Cuomo pledged to work with Ramos to advocate for a $20 per hour minimum wage.
Propelled by a wave of support from the Working Families Party and progressives, state Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani has reportedly captured the second-place spot in the race — behind Cuomo — as well as Ocasio-Cortez's endorsement.
"Assemblymember Mamdani has demonstrated a real ability on the ground to put together a coalition of working-class New Yorkers that is strongest to lead the pack," Ocasio-Cortez said, according to The New York Times.
"In the final stretch of the race, we need to get very real about that," she added.
Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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