Former Democratic New York governor Andrew Cuomo announced Saturday the launch of his bid to become the next mayor of New York City.
Cuomo, who resigned from office in 2021 after being accused of sexually harassing almost a dozen women — including some of his staff members — began considering entering the mayoral race a week prior to the announcement, CBS News reported. He joins the race involving several opponents including the incumbent mayor, Eric Adams, who was indicted on federal corruption charges Sept. 26, 2024. The Trump administration’s Department of Justice dropped bribery charges levied against Adams on Feb. 10, 2025.
Cuomo called the city “out of control” in his 17-minute announcement posted online.
“We know that today our 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. You see it in the empty storefronts, the graffiti, the grime, the migrant influx, the random violence,” he said. “The city just feels threatening, out of control and in crisis.”
He also claimed the city’s conditions exist because of “an act of our political leaders, or more precisely, the lack of intelligent action by many of our political leaders.” (RELATED: Disgraced ‘Love Gov’ Andrew Cuomo Dominates NYC Mayoral Field: POLL).
Cuomo previously denied the sexual harassment allegations brought against him but stepped down as governor due to an impeachment investigation Aug. 10, 2021. New York State Attorney General Letitia James’s office claimed Cuomo created a hostile work environment with suggestive, non-consensual, offensive and unwelcome touching. His legal team later sued several of his accusers as well as James’s office, the outlet reported.
The Cuomo administration was also accused of lying about the number of people who died in state nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, the outlet reported.
He acknowledged “mistakes” made during his time in office.
“Did I always do everything right in my years of government service? Of course not. Would I do some things differently knowing what I know now? Certainly. Did I make mistakes? Some painfully. Definitely,” he said in his mayoral announcement video.
“And I believe I learned from them and that I am a better person for it” he continued. “I promise you this, I know what needs to be done, and I know how to do it.”
Democratic New York Rep. Ritchie Torres endorsed Cuomo days before the announcement, CBS reported Monday.
“When it comes to confronting political extremism in New York, when it comes to confronting the crisis of crime, we need not a nice guy, but a tough guy like Andrew Cuomo,” Torres said.
Other reactions, especially from other mayoral candidates, were less warm.
“Andrew Cuomo is for himself and only himself, and is hoping New Yorkers will forget his disastrous record for our city of endless scandals, destroying the subway, and cutting basic services,” said city comptroller Brad Lander, another mayoral candidate, according to The New York Times.
The New York City Democratic primary election ends June 24, 2025.
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