Eric Adams says Andrew Cuomo pushed 3 Black candidates out of races. What do they say?

On Friday, New York City Mayor Eric Adams named three Black politicians as he railed against Andrew Cuomo’s efforts to get him to drop his reelection campaign. “Andrew has had a career of pushing Black candidates out of races. You’ve heard me say it over again: Carl McCall, Charlie King, David Paterson. This is his career. That must stop with me,” the mayor said.

Paterson has heard the mayor make that observation before. “When Eric Adams says this, I never contradict him,” former Gov. Paterson told City & State on Sunday. “Adams is closer to the truth than the people he's accusing.” It’s true that former state Comptroller McCall, Cuomo’s longtime ally King and Paterson all have political histories with Cuomo. All three men Adams named also endorsed Cuomo for mayor during the primary, as Cuomo noted at an unrelated press conference on Tuesday. “Carl McCall supported me. Charlie King supported me. David Paterson supported me in the primary. So obviously they didn’t feel that way.” Here’s a recap of the political arcs of those men, and how they intersected with the former governor and mayoral wannabe.

CARL MCCALL

Cuomo beef: In 2002, the Democratic establishment largely supported then-state Comptroller McCall to challenge incumbent GOP Gov. George Pataki, as he aimed to become New York’s first Black governor. But days before McCall announced his bid, Cuomo, whose father lost to Pataki eight years prior, filed to run. “I hoped that getting out in front of McCall and taking a commanding lead would persuade him to sit out the race,” Cuomo wrote in his 2014 memoir “All Things Possible.” It didn’t. Then Cuomo made a major gaffe in which he criticized Pataki’s leadership after 9/11, saying: “Pataki stood behind the leader. He held the leader's coat. He was a great assistant to the leader. But he was not a leader. Cream rises to the top, and Rudy Giuliani rose to the top." The comment was widely condemned for politicizing the tragedy. U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer endorsed McCall, then-Sen. Hillary Clinton marched with him in the West Indian Day Parade, and Cuomo ended his own campaign in embarrassment a week before the election. But the race was expensive, draining McCall’s resources and pissing off a lot of the Black political power brokers who blamed Cuomo for McCall’s subsequent loss to Pataki.

His take in 2025: McCall published an open letter endorsing Cuomo’s mayoral campaign in February, before Cuomo had even launched. “Some might be surprised that I am supporting Andrew so strongly and so early. But despite how it is sometimes framed in the press, we were never political adversaries,” the letter read. McCall told City & State Adams’ reported suggestion that the letter had been written by Cuomo’s campaign was false, and said he didn’t see why Adams wanted to “introduce an element of race in this contest.” “This is something that happened 20 years ago, and I think it’s more important to focus on what we need today,” McCall told City & State. “Andrew and I have had long discussions and we’ve had mutual arrangements. He’s appointed me to things. I’ve supported him, so that’s all behind us.” He is endorsing Cuomo in the general election, as well, he confirmed to City & State. 

CHARLIE KING

Cuomo beef: King was Cuomo’s 2002 running mate, running unsuccessfully for lieutenant governor for the second time. In 2006, King launched a campaign for state attorney general in a crowded field that included Cuomo, Mark Green, Sean Patrick Maloney and Mike Gianaris in which King was the only Black candidate. He garnered multiple high-profile endorsements, but he dropped out a week before the primary and endorsed Cuomo, who won.

His take in 2025: King and Cuomo have remained close throughout Cuomo’s career. King was a chief adviser on Cuomo’s mayoral primary campaign and continues advising the campaign for the general election. “It's factually inaccurate,” King said of Adams’ comments. “To the extent anybody cares.” He added: “Mayor Adams is a friend. And you know, Mayor Adams was not supportive of me and my historic run for attorney general at that time… but I don’t hold that against him.”

DAVID PATERSON

Cuomo beef: Paterson knows what it is like to occupy the seat that Andrew Cuomo wants. A former lieutenant governor, he was elevated to become governor after Eliot Spitzer resigned in a prostitution scandal in 2008. Paterson, the state’s first Black and first legally blind governor, intended to run for reelection in 2010, but he was strongly discouraged from doing so by advisers to President Barack Obama. After Paterson refused to drop out, two scandals engulfed his office, one involving free Yankees tickets and the other regarding a domestic violence allegation against his staffer. The state entity investigating those claims? The Attorney General’s Office, then led by Andrew Cuomo. Initially, Cuomo launched an investigation into the staffer at the request of Paterson and into the Yankees tickets at the request of the state ethics commission, but he later appointed a special counsel to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest. Under pressure, Paterson announced in February 2010 that he would not seek reelection. Cuomo, who had been quietly campaigning but was hesitant to openly primary Paterson, made his gubernatorial run official in May.

His take in 2025: Paterson endorsed Cuomo in the Democratic primary in June, joining Manhattan Democratic Party Chair Keith Wright. “I was still kind of feeling like, I'm going to sit this out. But the New York County leader, Keith Wright, who, usually, we endorse together, called me and said, ‘I want to do Andrew,’” Paterson told City & State. “I really was not into settling scores with Andrew. I thought he would do a good job.” After the primary, Paterson endorsed Adams.