New York Dems are queasy over Cuomo’s potential comeback

NEW YORK — Andrew Cuomo wants out of the political wilderness. Many fellow New York Democrats wish he would stay there.

Concern over Cuomo possibly running for New York City mayor has led a nascent collection of labor, business and advocacy groups to consider an organized effort to counter any political comeback, according to a person familiar with the planning and fundraising who was granted anonymity to discuss the internal conversations.

Separately, some Democratic leaders are privately encouraging state Attorney General Tish James — who helped run Cuomo out of office three years ago — to mount a bid for mayor if Eric Adams steps down. A James mayoral run could box out Cuomo: She would likely draw support from Black voters in her home borough of Brooklyn, a base that is vital for the ex-governor if he runs for mayor.

It’s all a sign of just how quickly the political landscape has shifted in New York as Adams defends against a federal corruption indictment, other criminal inquiries around him and calls for his resignation. Cuomo has been considering a comeback bid, and the collapse of Adams’ career would offer an opening.

For Democrats who comprise New York’s political power structure, though, the idea of a potential Cuomo restoration — and the prospect of working with him again — is stomach-churning.

“If he were to become mayor there would be large amounts of tension between him and the Legislature and governor that don’t I think would be in the best interests of the city of New York,” said powerful state Senate Finance Chair Liz Krueger. “If people are looking for who should be the next mayor of New York City, please look beyond Eric Adams and Andrew Cuomo. There’s eight million more people to talk to.”

Some of the boosterism around a James’ mayoral run, which was first reported by The New York Post and confirmed by POLITICO, is coming from Gov. Kathy Hochul’s supporters. James, who briefly ran for governor three years ago, is also being sized up by some Democrats as a potential gubernatorial candidate in 2026 to replace Hochul, who remains unpopular in statewide public polling.

A James mayoral bid would serve a dual purpose: protect Hochul and ward off Cuomo.

New York Democratic Chair Jay Jacobs, a Hochul ally, said he’s “hearing a lot of enthusiasm” for James to run for mayor in a special election. He is circumspect, however, over whether she should actually run — a reflection of how the five-count indictment against Adams has unsettled the state’s political picture.

“I’m not weighing in or making a suggestion that anyone would run for mayor,” he said. “I like her a lot personally. This is a what if. The mayor hasn’t gone anywhere.”

James has said she wants to remain attorney general. Privately, some Democrats question whether she would want to run on the municipal level after serving six years as a prominent statewide elected official.

James’ team declined to comment.

Cuomo is a self-acknowledged micromanager who has irked and intimidated generations of advisers, elected officials and journalists.

He left the governor’s office in 2021 amid a blaze of scandal. A report released by James concluded Cuomo sexually harassed 11 women — and ultimately led to his resignation. He has denied any wrongdoing.

Cuomo has been known to bully and berate those who cross him — like when he personally threatened a state lawmaker who was critical of the state’s Covid nursing home policy.

“We operate on two speeds here: Get along and kill,” a top aide to Cuomo told then-Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy’s office in 2011. As governor, that outlook defined how he approached anyone deemed to be in his way.

Cuomo loyalists believe this forceful style helped make him a consequential governor, but his history of bare-knuckle tactics has some New York Democrats fearful of what a second act would look like if he returns to elected office.

Cuomo’s allies have insisted the mercurial former governor’s aggressive style would serve as a positive and is needed as New York City faces an uncertain future. They view his ability as a canny political operator and manager as well suited to a deeply complex job overseeing a massive city government.

And Cuomo’s return to public office would set him apart from the political establishment — an unusual position for a longtime politician that could be an unexpected source of strength.

Cuomo’s team also sees a moment in New York City — beset by a migrant crisis and a sluggish post-pandemic recovery — that would be ripe for his leadership. A Siena College poll last month found 51 percent of city voters believe New York is headed in the wrong direction.

But over the years, the former governor has alienated key powerbrokers in elected office, labor and business. In a sign of how Democrats continue to harbor bad memories, few wanted to speak on the record for fear of angering him.

Cuomo would also have to pull together business and labor leaders — people who make up the city’s political DNA and command influence over campaign donations as well as voter turnout. Many of these political influencers have worked with or known the former governor for years — some dating back to the time he served as an adviser to his father, the late Mario Cuomo.

They know how effective he is when wielding power. But memories run long over how difficult Cuomo is in office.

“This has happened with very intelligent, very organized, very strong-willed people,” former Gov. David Paterson said, referring to Cuomo’s political stylings. “They’re actually the most dangerous when they’re in charge. There’s certainly a fear among people who know him that he can be that way.”

But Paterson also believes Cuomo can overcome the personality clashes.

“He’s got a few scars from scandal — as we all do,” he said. “I think there would be a greater pressure on him to be the kinder, gentler Andrew Cuomo.”

Cuomo spokesperson Rich Azzopardi said in a statement that it’s too early to speculate about the former governor’s plans and that Adams “should have the opportunity to defend himself.” But he also pointed to Cuomo’s long track record in public office.

“Gov. Cuomo has always put New Yorkers over politics and the politicians, which is how, over their opposition, he was able to get marriage equality legalized, Roe v. Wade enshrined into state law, get the strongest gun protections and paid family leave in the nation on the books and build projects previously declared impossible, such as the Moynihan train station, the new LaGuardia and JFK airports and the second Avenue subway,” he said.

As for the coalition forming in response to Cuomo’s potential candidacy, Azzopardi added: “This is all premature, but whomever is desperately spinning this about organized labor, forgetting the governor’s decades-long relationship with them and his record of delivering on issues such as a $15 minimum wage, paid family leave and once-in-a-generation infrastructure projects, doesn’t pass the smell test.”

If he runs, Cuomo is expected to lean heavily on his decades of governmental experience. He served as housing secretary in Bill Clinton’s cabinet, state attorney general and as governor for a decade.

Cuomo could also draw support from key New York City Jewish leaders as well as monied real-estate interests concerned with the left-ward drift of the city politics. He has sought to court both groups and presented himself as a moderate alternative to socialist-backed candidates

But some business leaders point to reneged-on promises like not raising income taxes and approving a controversial law that limited cash bail and has become a political problem for Democrats.

There are also union leaders who publicly called on him to resign as scandal engulfed his administration and don’t want to contemplate a mayoral campaign right now.

“That’s a question that I think universally labor wants to ignore as long as possible,” said one union operative who was granted anonymity to speak frankly about the internal discussions.

Few New York Democrats doubt Cuomo can be an effective leader. While anathema to progressives, a Cuomo mayoralty would likely make public safety a key priority for a city that has struggled with crime in the aftermath of the pandemic.

The son of a governor who has held two statewide offices, Cuomo has decried the monthslong effort among Democrats that culminated with his resignation in 2021. At the time, he tried to draw strength from the opposition and insisted to reporters that he was not part of any political club.

Some operatives in New York believe he stands apart from the other mayoral aspirants now.

“He’s certainly the master of politics,” said Mark Botnick, a former aide to ex-Mayor Michael Bloomberg. “That being said, he also owes nobody anything given how quickly everyone called for his ouster.”