Andrew Cuomo’s primary endorsers have been pretty quiet

Early in the Democratic mayoral primary, Andrew Cuomo’s campaign created a sense of inevitability by announcing a new endorsement almost daily. The former governor once boasted support from former President Bill Clinton, former mayor Michael Bloomberg, about 35 elected officials and powerful unions – many of whom campaigned with him and served as surrogates. 

Several of his primary supporters overcame previous misgivings to endorse him – reversing their positions after calling for him to resign over sexual misconduct allegations in 2021. However, since Cuomo’s stunning primary loss to Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani – and his subsequent independent campaign launch – not one of his previous elected backers has publicly reaffirmed their support for him in the general election. Cuomo removed the endorsement page on his campaign website shortly after launching his independent bid on July 14. 

Most people on Cuomo’s old endorsement list have remained relatively quiet, but a few have openly jumped ship. Rep. Adriano Espaillat, and Brooklyn Democratic Party Chair and Assembly Member Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, Assembly Member Manny De Los Santos and former Assembly member and Manhattan Democratic Party leader Keith Wright have all endorsed Mamdani. As have the Hotel and Gaming Trades Council, the health care workers union 1199 SEIU and the building service workers union 32BJ SEIU.

“If you can win an election with basically almost no union support, no big corporate donations, no huge PACs, then you know, you’re really winning the people’s choice, the people’s votes,” Bichotte Hermelyn said of Mamdani’s victory. 

Bichotte Hermelyn, who abandoned Cuomo almost immediately after the primary, is confident that most elected officials in Brooklyn will come around and endorse Mamdani by November. She said that right now Cuomo has “absolutely no support” and there is “absolutely nothing” he could do to substantially rebuild it. 

Others, though, have been much less decisive. Out of the 19 Assembly members who endorsed Cuomo in the primary, only De Los Santos has publicly declared his stance when he backed Mamdani in the general election. Assembly Member David Weprin told the Queens Daily Eagle on July 7 he would announce his decision the following week but still has not declared his support for any candidate. Assembly Member Eddie Gibbs, one of Cuomo’s first primary endorsers, said he is “not rushing” to endorse anyone, and as a “people-tician,” he will let his constituents decide through a candidate forum in mid-September. 

“I don’t want to be one of the elected officials who just blindly, because of favoritism, endorses someone,” Gibbs said. “This is a serious election.”

Cuomo seems to share the lack of urgency with his former backers. According to Gibbs, the former governor also did not respond to his request for a candidate forum. Bichotte Hermelyn also noted Cuomo’s minimal presence in Brooklyn since the primary compared to Mamdani’s extensive outreach in the area. Assembly Members Jordan Wright (son of Keith Wright) and Erik Dilan have not made their endorsement decisions yet, but both confirmed Cuomo has not reached out to ask for their support. 

“Listen, we appreciated the support we received during the primary and understand if people made different decisions in the general election,” Cuomo’s spokesperson Rich Azzopardi said in a statement. “That said, the governor has been everywhere in every corner of the city these last few weeks meeting voters where they are, in their neighborhoods, on the streets and yes on social media. They’ll be the ones who decide the race.” 

Endorsements have been a controversial component of this mayoral election, and the former governor is not the only candidate party leaders have been reluctant to endorse. 

Most notably, Gov. Kathy Hochul, Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries still have not backed the Democratic nominee. Although Keith Wright was one of the party leaders who endorsed Mamdani following the primary, he understands the trepidation. 

“You know, endorsing a candidate is a very personal decision, and people have to feel comfortable in terms of waiting if they endorse someone. And let’s be clear: There’s still time,” Wright said.