Cuomo paints dim picture of NYC in mayoral campaign announcement: ‘The city feels threatening’

Cuomo has been largely absent from national politics after resigning from the New York governorship in 2021 following a sexual assault scandal. He has sought to rehabilitate his image in recent months, seeing an opening in New York City amid the crumbling of incumbent Mayor Eric Adams‘s popularity following his indictment.

Cuomo cast a bleak image of New York City in his announcement video, expressing hope that he could turn it around.

“New York City is in trouble. You feel it when you walk down the street and try not to make eye contact with a mentally ill homeless person, or when the anxiety rises up in your chest as you’re walking down into the subway,” Cuomo said. “You see it in the empty store fronts, the graffiti, the grime, the migrant influx, the random violence the city just feels threatening, out of control and in crisis, these conditions exist not as an act of God, but rather as an act of our political leaders, or, more precisely, the lack of intelligent action by many of our political leaders.”

The former governor sought to balance both progressive and centrist rhetoric, hailing his progressive moves as governor regarding abortion and LGBT issues while promising a tough stance on crime.

“We must attack the crime problem after politicians have been minimizing the need for police and cutting funding, we must acknowledge the simple truth that they are just plain wrong, deadly wrong, they set us back, and we must now return to actually fighting crime,” he said.

Cuomo expressed an openness to working with Trump, even using similar language regarding immigration, while couching it with a disclaimer that he would oppose him on other matters.

“I have worked with President Trump in many different situations, and I hope President Trump remembers his hometown and works with us to make it better,” he said. “But make no mistake, I will stand up and fight for New York. I have done it before, and I will do it again. I will fight Washington and Albany to make sure we get our fair share of funding and to protect the rights and values that New Yorkers hold dear, that we believe that any discrimination by race, color or creed is anti-American.”

The former governor concluded on a hopeful note, saying that he was ready to “save our city.”

“New York is to the nation what the white church spire is to the village, the visible symbol of aspiration and faith, the white plume saying the way is up. I am not saying this is going to be easy. It won’t be easy, but I know we can turn the city around, and I believe I can help, and that is why I announced my candidacy today for mayor of New York City,” Cuomo said.

Cuomo’s competition was quick to attack his run.

“In honor of your sad attempt to get attention, let’s remember your time as Governor of New York—before you resigned for sexually harassing 13 women and leading thousands of elderly New Yorkers to their deaths during Covid-19,” Democratic New York City Comptroller and mayoral candidate Brad Lander said in a post on X.

FULL LIST OF EXECUTIVE ORDERS, ACTIONS, AND PROCLAMATIONS TRUMP HAS MADE AS PRESIDENT

In 2024, the Department of Justice concluded that Cuomo harassed 13 women over a period of eight years. Cuomo has denied wrongdoing.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Cuomo also faced criticism over moving elderly residents into nursing homes.

Democratic State Sen. Zellnor Myrie hit Cuomo on several of his policies as mayor, comparing him to Trump.

“Andrew Cuomo cut funding for our city’s subways, our rental assistance, our hospitals and our schools — the same thing Trump is now doing on a federal level. We have an opportunity to change the direction of our city and rebuild NYC. Let’s get it done,” he said in a post on X.