New York City Mayor Eric Adams endorsed former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the mayor’s race Thursday, trying to help the Democratic Party establishment derail Zohran Mamdani’s campaign.
Mr. Adams, a Democrat, dropped out of the mayoral race in September in a failed bid to solidify the anti-Mamdani vote behind Mr. Cuomo.
Now he’s actively campaigning for the disgraced former governor.
“I’m fighting for the family of New York. That’s why I’m here today to endorse Andrew Cuomo to be part of this fight,” Mr. Adams said at an event with Mr. Cuomo, a fellow Democrat running as an independent.
Mr. Mamdani, a 33-year-old democratic socialist who won the Democratic nomination for mayor in June, has deepened divisions within the party over how far left it should veer after sweeping electoral losses in 2024.
He is far ahead in the polls and appears unstoppable as the Nov. 4 election approaches.
Mr. Mamdani won the endorsement of New York Gov. Kathy Hochul in the race to lead the nation’s most populous city. He has also been endorsed by far-left figures, including Sen. Bernard Sanders of Vermont and Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts.
Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, both of New York, have not endorsed him.
Mr. Cuomo was forced out of the governor’s office in 2021 — with the help of Mr. Schumer and Mr. Jeffries — amid sexual harassment and misconduct allegations.
Mr. Adams previously lashed out at Mr. Cuomo for pressuring him to drop out of the race, but now said he would campaign with the former governor in neighborhoods where the mayor is most popular, a move first reported by The New York Times.
“The Mayor put his own ambition aside because he cares more about New York City, and he believes Zohran is an existential threat to New York City,” Mr. Cuomo said at the Wednesday event.
This comes as the two sat together courtside at the New York Knicks’ season opener, sparking endorsement speculation.
“Both the mayor and myself are Democrats, and we do see Mamdani as an existential threat,” Mr. Cuomo said in an interview with NY1. “A person who’s dangerously inexperienced who could hurt this city.”
The Washington Times reached out to Mr. Mamdani for comment.
Mr. Mamdani, Mr. Cuomo and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa exchanged barbs during the final New York City mayoral debate Wednesday night.
Some Republicans have pressured Mr. Sliwa to drop out of the race to further solidify the anti-Mamdani vote behind Mr. Cuomo.
When President Trump was asked recently if he would coax Mr. Sliwa out of the race, he dodged the question but signaled his support for Mr. Cuomo over Mr. Mamdani.
“It’s really a question of ‘Would I rather have a Democrat or a communist?’ And I would rather have a Democrat than a communist,” he said.
