The endorsement represents a striking turnaround for Adams, who has criticized Cuomo’s record as governor.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams has decided to back former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to succeed him as mayor, in an effort to consolidate opposition to front-runner Zohran Mamdani.
Adams, a critic of Cuomo when they were both in the mayoral race, is expected to campaign alongside his former rival as early as Thursday afternoon.
“I can confirm that the Mayor will endorse former Governor Andrew M. Cuomo for mayor and intends to campaign alongside him,” Todd Shapiro, a spokesperson for Adams, said in a statement to multiple media outlets. “The time and locations for their joint appearances are currently being finalized.”
Adams hinted at the endorsement at an unrelated press conference on Thursday morning, saying, “I’ll be with Andrew later today.”
“I think that it is imperative to really wake up the black and brown communities that have suffered from gentrification on how important this race is,” Adams told The New York Times, which first reported the anticipated endorsement.
Cuomo and Adams, both longtime Democrats, entered the mayoral race as independent candidates after Mamdani, a self-described Democratic Socialist, won the Democratic Party’s nomination. Adams suspended his campaign last month, saying in a video message that he saw “no path to victory.”
Cuomo fueled speculation on Wednesday night when he left the second mayoral debate without speaking to reporters and was soon spotted alongside Adams at a New York Knicks game in Madison Square Garden.
The endorsement represents a turnaround for Adams, who has criticized Cuomo’s record as governor—particularly his bail reform laws, which Adams has blamed for New York City’s rising recidivism. Early last month, he denounced Cuomo as “a liar” before accusing the former governor of having had “a career of pushing black candidates out of races.”
Still, the mayor’s fiercest attacks have been reserved for Mamdani. Adams called the state assemblyman the city’s biggest threat because of his socialism-inspired agenda, which includes proposals for city-owned grocery stores, free bus service, and a rent freeze. Mamdani has said these programs would be funded in part by raising income taxes on the top 1 percent of New Yorkers by 2 percentage points.
By Bill Pan
