New York (AFP) – Andrew Cuomo, the former Democratic governor of New York and a man once thought to have his eye on the presidency, said Saturday he will run in November to be mayor of New York City. The current mayor of the largest US city, Eric Adams, is embattled — politically wounded by indictment on corruption charges. Cuomo himself resigned amid scandal in 2021 after 10 years as governor following accusations of sexual harassment. A prosecutor dropped charges against him in January 2022.
“Did I make mistakes, some painfully? Definitely, and I believe I learned from them, and that I am a better person for it, and I hope to show you that every day,” the 67-year-old Cuomo said in announcing his candidacy in a video on X. “New York City is in trouble,” he declared, adding that was why he decided to run. “You see it in the empty storefronts, the graffiti, the grime, the migrant influx, the random violence — the city just feels threatening, out of control and in crisis.” He said he had frequently worked with then-New York real estate developer Donald Trump, adding, “I hope President Trump remembers his hometown and works with us to make it better.”
The New York Times called Cuomo’s declared candidacy an “audacious comeback attempt” after he resigned in disgrace. Adams, a former police officer elected in 2021 on promises to make the city safer, has seen his popularity plummet as New York struggles with an influx of more than 200,000 migrants. He has promised to work more closely with the Trump administration on migrant issues. Trump’s Justice Department took the unusual step of suspending its corruption case against Adams, prompting suggestions — which both sides deny — of a quid pro quo.
Cuomo, the son of New York governor Mario Cuomo, has a long history as one of the Democratic party’s most prominent liberals. He was secretary of housing and urban development under President Bill Clinton and later served as New York attorney general. As governor, he signed state legislation to legalize same-sex marriage and medical use of cannabis, as well as one of the country’s strictest gun control laws.
© 2024 AFP
