Why is Andrew Cuomo still a thing? New York City voters deserve better. | Opinion
While Cuomo may provide a familiar face for people seeking a more moderate candidate without Adams' legal woes, he has proved that he cares more about his political career than the people he's harmed.
When the #MeToo movement caught traction in 2017, it seemed that sexual abuse allegations might finally be taken seriously. Eight years on, it’s clear that this was just a moment of fleeting optimism.
We see this now that disgraced former Gov. Andrew Cuomo entered the New York City mayoral race after months of speculation. With his addition, there are now three mayoral candidates with sexual misconduct accusations against them – Cuomo, current New York City Mayor Eric Adams and former comptroller Scott Stringer – in the running to lead America’s largest city.
There are plenty of candidates in this race without allegations against them. When the Democratic primary occurs in June, New York voters must remember that they deserve better than some of these candidates. While Cuomo may provide a familiar face for people seeking a more moderate candidate without Adams’ legal woes, he has proved that he cares more about his political career than he does the people he’s harmed.
Accusations against then-NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo mean nothing
In 2021, Cuomo resigned from office after an investigation by the state’s attorney general found that the governor had sexually harassed 11 women. The accusations included unwanted touching and kissing, inappropriate comments and invasive questions about their sex lives. A similar investigation with the U.S. Justice Department led to a settlement between New York and the federal government. The former governor has denied the allegations.
While criminal charges were never filed, three of the women sued Cuomo. He sued one accuser after she dropped her case against him, alleging that she lied about the harassment.
His questionable history has not stopped him from soaring ahead in polling. A recent Quinnipiac University poll of registered Democratic voters found Cuomo leading with 31% support, compared with Adams’ 11%.
Lindsey Boylan, a former Cuomo aide and the first woman to come forward with allegations against him, recently spoke to The Associated Press about his resurgence.
“I don’t think anything has specifically changed with women being angry about how our rights are being taken away,” Boylan said. “But the fact that most of our leaders are more interested in staying comfortable and staying in their jobs than actually protecting us and defending us. That’s gotten much worse.”
I empathize with what Boylan is saying. It’s disappointing enough that Cuomo is still popular enough to even enter the mayoral race. It’s equally as disappointing that top Democrats in the state, like U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, have failed to condemn Cuomo’s candidacy.
Gillibrand said it's up to voters to determine the mayoral candidate's fate, while Jeffries has declined to endorse a candidate until after the June primary.
"I’ve known Andrew Cuomo for decades," Gillibrand told NY1 last week. "He has a lot of talent as an executive, he’s been a very strong governor and done very good things for New York."
There are at least 11 women who would disagree with that.
Eric Adams isn't a much better option for New Yorkers
Adams, the incumbent candidate who until recently was the subject of a Department of Justice investigation into possible corruption, also has sexual assault allegations against him.
Last year, a woman sued Adams under the state’s Adult Survivors Act, alleging that he had asked her for oral sex in exchange for career advice while he was with the New York Police Department. When she declined, she says, he exposed himself and masturbated. Adams has denied the allegations.
Stringer, another candidate for mayor, was accused of sexual misconduct by two women in 2021 during his first run for mayor. Both women accused Stringer of making unwanted advances toward them. Stringer sued one of his accusers in 2022 for defamation. Like Cuomo and Adams, Stringer has denied these allegations.
Both men are trailing behind Cuomo in the polls, but again: They shouldn't have the public support to run in the first place.
New York has other qualified candidates for mayor
We live in a world without consequences for the elite, regardless of party affiliation. After all, President Donald Trump, the most powerful man in America, has been found liable for sexual abuse by a jury, has other allegations against him and was still reelected president.
There is no such thing as being “canceled.” If there were, Cuomo wouldn’t have had enough momentum to enter the mayoral race, much less be a top contender. Despite his missteps as governor, he will likely be at the top of the city's Democratic Party ticket come November.
When New York Democrats head to the voting booth this summer, they must remember that they deserve more than men with questionable characters. There are other qualified candidates on the ballot to be mayor of New York: Zohran Mamdani, Zellnor Myrie and Jessica Ramos all offer progressive Democrats a better option on the city's ranked-choice ballots. Adrienne Adams and Brad Lander offer options for centrist voters.
The problem is that none has the name recognition of Adams or Cuomo. Mamdani is polling ahead of Mayor Adams in multiple polls, but he still trails former Gov. Cuomo.
New Yorkers deserve someone who isn’t just in the race to repair their political career. I hope primary voters remember this when they go to the polls in June.
Follow Paste BN columnist Sara Pequeño on X, formerly Twitter: @sara__pequeno