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The Democratic, Republican and independent candidates for New York City mayor don’t often agree on much, but they appear to be in lock-step over the view that New Yorkers want someone different than former Governor Andrew Cuomo to run the Big Apple.
Zohran Mamdani and Curtis Sliwa, the Democratic and Republican nominees for New York City mayor, were quick to respond to Andrew Cuomo’s announcement that he will stay in the race as an independent after the former governor of New York lost his Democratic primary a few weeks ago. While blasting Cuomo, the pair also used the opportunity to slam incumbent independent mayoral candidate Eric Adams, who, on Monday, said Cuomo “had his opportunity” already, but New Yorkers no longer buy his message.
“Andrew is a double-digit loser in the primary. He lost by 12 points. He had his opportunity. He spent $25 million to get his message out. New York has heard it. He did not sell it,” Adams said at a Monday press conference. The comments followed a separate press release his campaign put out Sunday amid rumors Cuomo would be re-joining the race as an Independent, saying that Cuomo’s “political double-dealing” was the reason why New Yorkers have “lost trust” in him.
MAMDANI LANDS ENDORSEMENT OF A TOP CUOMO BACKER IN NYC MAYORAL PRIMARY
Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s opponents in the NYC mayoral race all expressed criticism that New Yorkers want someone new to lead after he announced his decision to re-enter the race as an Independent after losing his Democratic Party primary election a few weeks ago. (Getty Images)
“I welcome everyone to this race, and I am as confident as I have been since three weeks ago on primary night when we faced Andrew Cuomo,” Democratic Party nominee Mamdani said at a Monday press conference following Cuomo’s announcement. “We did so because of the fact that while Andrew Cuomo and Eric Adams trip over themselves to make deals in back rooms with billionaires, we are focused on fighting for working New Yorkers. I think he’s struggling to come to terms with what [Cuomo’s primary loss] meant.”
Mamdani added that while Cuomo may have envisioned himself as becoming the next mayor, the Democratic primary results showed NYC’s “hunger for a new kind of politics.”
“I understand that it is difficult for the former governor to come to terms with [his loss] because it is a repudiation of the politics that he has practiced that he has known for so many years, and it is that same politics that we are turning the page on.”
Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo speaks during the New York City Democratic Mayoral Primary Debate at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in the Gerald W. Lynch Theater in New York City, June 12, 2025. (Vincent Alban/Reuters)
MAMDANI’S FAILURE TO WALK BACK THESE POSITIONS COULD CAUSE RECKONING IN DEMOCRATIC PARTY: ‘FIVE-ALARM WARNING’
Sliwa, the GOP’s nominee in the NYC mayoral race, also took the opportunity Monday following Cuomo’s announcement he would be re-entering the race to slam not just Cuomo, but Adams as well, telling Fox News Digital the two are working eagerly to “cling to relevance.”
“Andrew Cuomo lost his primary and hides in the Hamptons. Eric Adams skipped his and fled to Fort Lauderdale. Now they’re both running as independents to cling to relevance,” Sliwa said Monday. “I’m the only candidate with a major party nomination, a 50-year record of serving New Yorkers, and a real path to victory. While they play musical chairs on a sinking ship, I’m out campaigning in NYC, listening, leading, and fighting to win it for the people. Let the voters decide this November.”
Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa speaks during an anti-migrant rally and protest outside of Gracie Mansion on August 27, 2023, in New York City. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
In response to the criticism, a campaign representative for Cuomo zeroed in on Adams’ comments.
“This is a primary that the mayor didn’t participate in because he knew he’d lose,” Rich Azzopardi told Fox News Digital. “The governor got 36,000 more votes three weeks ago than the mayor got four years ago, when he was at the height of his popularity and people actually wanted to give him a chance.”
Azzopardi also pointed to an email Cuomo sent to supporters Monday noting he “made mistakes in the primary,” such as being too comfortable with polling that showed he was the front-runner. The email also spoke to Mamdani, but did not directly address Sliwa.
“I do not believe that New York City voters affirmatively voted for a socialist form of government that is hostile to business and economic growth, and I do believe that Zohran Mamdani poses a serious threat to the future of the city we love. I will give it my all to stop him,” the email from Cuomo stated.
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“I also believe that all of us who love New York City must be united in running the strongest possible candidate against Zohran Mamdani in the November general election for mayor. Our common goal must be to run the strongest candidate against Mr. Mamdani. That is why I have accepted the proposal put forth by former Governor David Paterson and candidate Jim Walden that, in mid-September, we will determine which candidate is strongest against Mamdani and all other candidates will stand down, rather than act as spoilers and guarantee Mamdani’s election.”
On Monday, incumbent mayor Adams slammed the proposal mentioned by Cuomo in his email to supporters, which seeks to get the rest of the campaign field to pledge to consolidate around the strongest non-Mamdani candidate.
“This proposal that was put out. It was Andrew’s proposal. He uses people to put things out that he really would like to come later and say, ‘OK, I endorse what an independent person is doing,'” Adams said Monday.
