Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced his candidacy for New York City mayor on Saturday, seeking to make a political comeback after stepping down in 2021 due to sexual harassment accusations from at least a dozen women—allegations he has consistently denied.
“Today, our New York City is in trouble,” Cuomo declared in his 17-minute announcement video. “You feel it when you walk down the street and try not to make eye contact with a mentally ill homeless person, or when the anxiety rises up in your chest as you’re walking down into the subway.”
“You see it in the empty store fronts, the graffiti, the grime, the migrant influx, the random violence. The city just feels threatening, out of control, and in crisis,” he continued.
“These conditions exist not as an act of God, but rather as an act of our political leaders, or more precisely, the lack of intelligent action by many of our political leaders.”
Cuomo, who previously touted progressive measures such as gun control, criticized the Democratic push to “defund the police,” calling it “deadly wrong” and urging a return to addressing crime head-on.
“We must acknowledge the simple truth that they are just plain wrong, deadly wrong,” he stated. “They set us back, and we must now return to actually fighting crime.”
He unveiled plans for bolstering the police force and increasing law enforcement presence in the subways to tackle the ongoing crime concerns on public transit.
The former governor defended his leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic, describing it as decisive and leading by example, despite backlash from critics over his administration’s controversial decisions, including a March 2020 directive that prohibited nursing homes from turning away COVID-19 patients, which may have contributed to outbreaks.
“Did I always do everything right in my years of government service? Of course not. Would I do some things differently, knowing what I know now? Certainly,” Cuomo remarked.
“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, but I promise you this: I know what needs to be done, and I know how to do it, and I will give it my all to get the job done, and it will get done,” he added.
Cuomo’s return to New York politics coincides with the creation of a political action committee, “Fix the City,” reportedly aiming to raise $15 million for the former governor, according to sources cited by USA Today and the New York Times.
Cuomo supporters filed the committee paperwork with New York’s Board of Elections on Wednesday.
Allegations of misconduct cloud Cuomo’s re-entry into politics. Brittany Commisso, a former staffer in Cuomo’s administration, accused him of groping her in November 2020 and later filed a lawsuit in 2022, after working in his office between 2019 and 2021.
Cuomo’s resignation in 2021 came amid a damning investigation led by New York Attorney General Letitia James, during which 11 women accused him of sexual misconduct.
Still, he has maintained his innocence, describing the allegations as exaggerated or unfairly portrayed.
The 2024 mayoral race is beginning to draw a competitive field. Besides Cuomo, contenders include current Mayor Eric Adams, vying for reelection, as well as political figures such as State Senator Zellnor Myrie, Comptroller Brad Lander, State Senator Jessica Ramos, former Comptroller Scott Stringer, and Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani. The election is scheduled for November 4.
Watch Cuomo’s full announcement video here:
Andrew Cuomo, the man that murdered tens of thousands of elderly NY citizens by forcing them out of hospital care and into senior homes! All in the name of the ‘New World Orders’ depopulation scheme in conjunction with Fauci and Big Pharma. He is so corrupt and crooked they will have to screw him into the ground when he passes away.