Cuomo staying in NYC mayor's race for now, following stunning setback to Mamdani in primary: Sources

Andrew Cuomo is not dropping retired of the contention for New York City mayor.

Cuomo, the erstwhile three-term New York State politician who resigned from bureau successful 2021 amid aggregate scandals, has decided, for now, to determination up and tally successful the wide predetermination arsenic an autarkic candidate, 2 sources confirmed to Fox News connected Thursday night.

The announcement by Cuomo came 3 days aft progressive upstart Zohran Mamdani shocked the governmental world, arsenic helium topped Cuomo and the remainder of the 11-candidate tract successful heavy bluish New York City's Democratic Party mayoral superior and took a large measurement toward becoming the archetypal Muslim politician of the nation's astir populous city.

Mamdani, a 33-year-old antiauthoritarian socialist authorities assemblyman from Queens who primitively hailed from Uganda, captured 43.5% of the archetypal circular unofficial superior results, with Cuomo astatine 36.4%.

REPUBLICANS USE MAMDANI BOMBSHELL VICTORY OVER CUOMO AS AMMUNITION TO BLAST DEMOCRATS AS EXTREMISTS

Democratic mayoral campaigner Zohran Mamdani takes the signifier astatine his superior predetermination enactment connected Wednesday, June 25, 2025 successful New York. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)

While helium acknowledged Mamdani's triumph successful the primary, Cuomo near the doorway unfastened to a November tally arsenic an autarkic candidate, which predetermination rules successful New York State permit.

"I privation to look astatine each the numbers arsenic they travel successful and analyse the fertile prime voting. I volition past consult with my colleagues connected what is the champion way for maine to assistance the City of New York, arsenic I person already qualified to tally for politician connected an autarkic enactment successful November," Cuomo said successful a statement.

Cuomo was facing an end-of-the-day Friday deadline for candidates who had already qualified to tally arsenic independents to diminution that autarkic ballot line.

The erstwhile politician volition support his spot that helium already secured earlier this twelvemonth connected the "Fight & Deliver" ballot line. But the sources said that Cuomo had not committed yet to moving an progressive wide predetermination run done the summertime and into the autumn. 

If Cuomo drops retired of the contention astatine a aboriginal date, his sanction volition enactment connected the wide predetermination ballot.

Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, successful a code to supporters, acknowledges that rival Zohran Mamdani 'won' the New York City Democratic Party mayoral primary, connected June 24, 2025, successful New York, N.Y. (Paul Steinhauser - Fox News)

Once a longshot successful the race, Mamdani closed the spread with Cuomo during the last agelong of the superior contention acknowledgment to an energetic run that focused successful portion connected New York City's precocious outgo of living.

Endorsements by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the progressive stone prima and New York City's astir salient person connected the left, and by Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, the progressive champion and two-time Democratic statesmanlike nominee runner-up, helped Mamdani consolidate overmuch of New York City's Democratic Party base

WHAT MAMDANI'S STUNNING PRIMARY VICTORY MEANS FOR DEMOCRATS NATIONWIDE 

And Mamdani rode a question of enactment from younger and first-time voters to catapult himself into archetypal place.

"I volition beryllium the politician for each New Yorker," Mamdani said successful his triumph speech. "Whether you voted for me, oregon for Governor Cuomo, oregon felt excessively disillusioned by a agelong breached governmental strategy to ballot astatine all, I volition combat for a metropolis that works for you, that is affordable for you, that is harmless for you."

Since nary of the candidates topped 50%, counting technically present heads into rounds of ranked-choice elimination. But the combined totals of votes Mamdani and different aligned progressive candidates won are apt to beryllium much than capable to topple Cuomo arsenic the ranked-choice tabulations statesman connected July 1.

Cuomo, seeing the penning connected the wall, admitted decision and complimented Mamdani arsenic the archetypal superior results poured successful connected Tuesday, telling supporters that "tonight is his night. He deserved it. He won."

Cuomo, successful an interrogation connected Wednesday with CBS New York, noted that "in the wide election, much radical travel retired to vote. It's a broader pool, if you will, of New Yorkers, much typical excavation of New Yorkers."

"There are astir 5 cardinal voters successful New York City, determination are astir 8 cardinal radical successful New York City, and astir 1 cardinal radical ballot successful the Democratic primary. So it's not, necessarily, typical of the metropolis astatine large," the erstwhile politician said.

Former New York State Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the frontrunner successful the contention for the New York City Democratic Party mayoral primary, speaks to a ample assemblage of national supporters, connected superior eve, June 23, 2025. (Paul Steinhauser - Fox News)

And a canvass from a consulting and lobbying radical that was aligned with an extracurricular radical supporting Cuomo released a canvass connected Thursday that suggested Mamdani and Cuomo tied successful a imaginable wide predetermination matchup, with incumbent Mayor Eric Adams – a Democrat who's moving for re-election arsenic an autarkic – and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa acold behind.

Sliwa, the laminitis of the unpaid crime-fighting patrols known arsenic the Guardian Angels, ran for a 2nd consecutive predetermination cycle. Also moving this November arsenic an autarkic is erstwhile national authoritative Jim Walden.

Asked if Cuomo should driblet retired of the race, Mamdani said Thursday successful an interrogation with Fox News affiliate WNYW successful New York that "I deliberation there's country for everyone because, ultimately, we're going to triumph it."

The 67-year-old Cuomo has spent the past 4 years warring to wide his sanction aft 11 intersexual harassment accusations, which helium has repeatedly denied, forced his resignation. He was besides nether probe astatine the clip for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic amid allegations his medication vastly understated COVID-related deaths astatine authorities nursing homes. 

Last month, the Justice Department opened a transgression probe into Cuomo aft Republicans accused him of lying to Congress astir the decisions helium made arsenic politician during the coronavirus pandemic.

Cuomo, acknowledgment to his sanction recognition, was the front-runner successful the polls adjacent earlier helium announced his candidacy earlier this year. But helium ran a harmless run that relied connected national support, and helium shied distant from often engaging with section oregon nationalist media.

Mamdani, meanwhile, made astute usage of societal media platforms, including TikTok, arsenic helium engaged the superior electorate. He projected eliminating fares to thrust New York City's immense autobus system, making CUNY (City University of New York) "tuition-free," freezing rents connected municipal housing, offering "free childcare" for children up to property five, and mounting up government-run market stores.

New York Mayor Eric Adams speaks during a run motorboat rally astatine City Hall, Thursday, June. 26, 2025, successful New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura) (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Adams, successful formally launching his run connected Thursday connected the steps of City Hall, said "this is simply a metropolis not of socialism," successful an evident jab astatine Mamdani's proposals.

"There's nary dignity successful idiosyncratic giving you everything for free. There's dignity successful giving you a job, truthful you tin supply for your household and the opportunities that you deserve. This is not a metropolis of handouts. This is simply a metropolis of hands up."

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Adams' canvass numbers were sinking adjacent earlier helium was indicted past twelvemonth connected 5 counts, which accused the politician of bribery and fraud arsenic portion of an alleged "long-running" strategy to personally nett from contacts with overseas officials.

The politician made repeated overtures to President Donald Trump, and the Justice Department earlier this twelvemonth dismissed the corruption charges, truthful Adams could perchance enactment with the Trump medication connected its amerciable migration crackdown.

He announced successful aboriginal April that helium would tally for re-election arsenic an autarkic and forgo the Democratic primary.