Cuomo’s In, and It’s a Whole New Mayor’s Race

Good morning. It’s Monday. Today we’ll look at how former Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s announcement that he would run for mayor of New York could complicate the chances of the Democrats who are already in the race — including Mayor Eric Adams.

Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s announcement that he would run for mayor of New York was not unexpected, but still it rocked the race. Seven other Democrats had already signed up to oppose Mayor Eric Adams in the primary. He is lagging in polls and has a complicated history: Indicted on corruption charges in the fall, he has been attacked since the Trump administration took office for what some have said is a quid pro quo — they accuse the Justice Department of offering to drop the case if he cooperated with President Trump’s crackdown on immigration. Adams has denied such a deal, although he agreed to let federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents into the Rikers Island jails in a major departure from the city’s sanctuary policies.

I asked our City Hall bureau chief, Emma G. Fitzsimmons — who, with Nicholas Fandos, covered Cuomo’s announcement over the weekend — what Cuomo is basing his campaign on and what to expect between now and the Democratic primary in June.

What is Cuomo’s message, and can he win?

He enters the race as a front-runner because of his name recognition. He’s leading in polls. He’s a strong fund-raiser and is moving to secure key endorsements.

He’s running on a message that he has the experience to “save our city” and solve pressing challenges, from the affordability crisis to violence on the subway. One quotation that stood out from his campaign video: “I know what needs to be done, and I know how to do it.”