Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., despite previously referring to former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo as a liar over his actions during the COVID-19 pandemic, backed him Wednesday in the heated New York City mayoral race, calling him the "lesser of two evils."
"In this instance, between Zohran Mamdani and Andrew Cuomo? It's not even close," Lawler told 77 WABC's "Sid & Friends" program Wednesday morning, adding that Cuomo has a better chance of defeating self-proclaimed democratic socialist Mamdani than the Republican challenger Curtis Sliwa.
Lawler's 17th Congressional District borders New York City, and in recent years he called Cuomo a "lying sack of s**t" over his pandemic nursing home policies, The New York Post reported.
But on Wednesday, the congressman said Mamdani's platform would be "too dangerous" for the city.
"This is about the s**ttiest choice I've seen in a mayor's race, and that's saying something," Lawler said.
He accused Mamdani of promoting "antisemitic tropes," defunding police, decriminalizing prostitution, and raising taxes by billions.
Lawler also blasted Mamdani's focus on Islamophobia at a recent press conference instead of commemorating the Sept. 11 attacks, calling it "disgusting."
However, Sliwa is polling in the mid-teens, which would only divide anti-Mamdani voters and help the far-left assemblyman win, said Lawler.
"At the end of the day, it's not about party," Lawler said. "New Yorkers have a choice, either have a Marxist, socialist as mayor who doesn't give a s**t about the Jews, or an alternative."
Lawler also mocked Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul as "dumber than a box of rocks" for backing Mamdani.
His comments came just hours after Brooklyn GOP City Councilwoman Inna Vernikov also broke ranks with Sliwa to endorse Cuomo, citing the same concerns.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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