Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo will continue his bid for New York City mayor as an independent candidate, despite losing the Democratic primary to state lawmaker Zohran Mamdani.
"The fight to save our city isn’t over," Cuomo said in a video posted on Monday on X.
"The general election is in November, and I’m in it to win it."
Mamdani, a 33-year-old member of the New York State Assembly, defeated Cuomo with 56 percent of the vote in last month’s ranked-choice primary, compared to Cuomo’s 44 percent.
Mamdani, a democratic socialist, is a Uganda-born Muslim of Indian descent.
Cuomo, 67, served as New York governor for a decade before resigning in 2021 amid sexual misconduct allegations.
In his video, he pointed to low turnout in the primary and argued that Mamdani’s "slick slogans" lack "real solutions."
The November general election will now feature Mamdani, Cuomo, current mayor Eric Adams, and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa, founder of the Guardian Angels anti-crime patrol.
Adams, who is facing multiple corruption investigations and falling approval ratings, opted not to compete in the Democratic primary.
His ties to President Donald Trump — who dropped federal charges against him — have also drawn scrutiny.
Unexpected win
Mamdani’s unexpected win has stirred anxiety among centrist Democrats, who fear his progressive policies could open the party to Republican criticism or lead to an exodus of businesses from the city.
Trump called Mamdani a "100% Communist Lunatic" in a social media post, while the Republican Party’s congressional campaign arm vowed to associate him with vulnerable Democrats ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Mamdani responded to Cuomo’s announcement by posting a donation link, which drew over 26,000 likes within an hour — far more than the roughly 800 received by Cuomo’s video.
