Mayor Eric Adams endorses Andrew Cuomo for NYC mayor to stop Zohran Mamdani
NEW YORK − Scandal-plagued outgoing New York City Mayor Eric Adams will endorse former Gov. Andrew Cuomo to replace him to lead the nation’s largest city , a spokesperson confirmed to USA TODAY on Oct. 23.
Cuomo, the 67-year-old independent candidate, has sought to shore up moderate and conservative votes to mount a double-digit deficit in polls to Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani , a democratic socialist state assemblyman, before the Nov. 4 general election.
The endorsement is a stark change for Adams, 65. Just over a month ago, he called Cuomo a “ liar and a snake ” trying to kneecap his reelection as the city’s second Black mayor. Adams, a Democrat, dropped his independent campaign in late September after having previously bowed out of the Democratic primary, which Mamdani won.
Candidate for New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani speaks during a press conference while campaigning outside a Subway station in New York City, April 1, 2025. Mamdani (D-NY) was announced as the winner of the Democratic nomination for mayor in a crowded field in the City’s mayoral primary to choose a successor to Mayor Eric Adams, who is running for re-election on an independent ticket.
Polls had shown Adams, who will remain on the ballot, with just single-digit support, due to corruption charges against him and many high-level members of his administration.
From foe to friend
In the closing days of the mayor’s race, Adams seems to have had a change of heart about his former opponent. The New York Times first reported on Adams’ endorsement of Cuomo.
Immediately after the final mayoral debate on Oct. 22 , Cuomo and Adams appeared together at the New York Knicks season-opening game at Madison Square Garden.
Todd Shapiro, a spokesperson for Adams, confirmed that he will endorse Cuomo. The mayor, he said in a statement, “intends to campaign alongside” Cuomo. Joint appearances are currently being finalized, he added.
A spokesperson for Cuomo didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
On X, Mamdani said: " The Art of the Deal ," an apparent reference to President Donald Trump's book . Trump previously expressed hope for Adams , and later Cuomo, to beat Mamdani .
"We are going to turn the page on the politics of big money and small ideas that these two disgraced executives embody and build a city every New Yorker can afford," Mamdani said in a statement.
Cuomo, who also has a scandal-plagued record in elected office , has sought to build a coalition of anti-Mamdani voters. He has appealed directly to supporters of Republican Curtis Sliwa , who has trailed in the polls in a distant third, to push Sliwa out of the race. A spokesperson for Sliwa, who has vowed not to leave the race, didn't immediately respond to requests for comment.
Adams’ one-term mayoralty has been hampered by federal charges related to allegedly soliciting and accepting illegal gifts and campaign donations from wealthy foreigners, including the Turkish government. After Trump won, Adams formed an alliance with the Republican − who is very unpopular in his native city − and Trump's Justice Department dropped the charges on the grounds that they would impede Adams' ability to cooperate with ramped-up immigration enforcement.
A former NYPD officer and one-time registered Republican, the then-Brooklyn borough president won the 2021 Democratic primary with strong support from a diverse coalition of mostly working-class, nonwhite voters in the city’s outer boroughs. He sailed to victory in the general election against Sliwa.
Cuomo, who was seen as unbeatable in the 2025 primary, struggled to cobble together Adams' coalition. He lost handily in a stunning defeat to Mamdani , giving Mamdani the edge as the Democratic nominee.
Now, Cuomo is counting on all the votes he can get.
During the tense Oct. 22 debate , moderators asked whether the candidates would accept Adams' endorsement. Mamdani said he would not. Cuomo said he would.
“Mr. Sliwa?” asked moderator Katie Honan, a reporter at the nonprofit news outlet The CITY .
“Absolutely not!” Sliwa quickly responded. “Put that crook in jail where he belongs.”
“Be careful,” Cuomo said.
Eduardo Cuevas is based in New York City. Reach him by email at emcuevas1@usatoday.com or on Signal at emcuevas.01.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Eric Adams endorses Andrew Cuomo for NYC mayor against Zohran Mamdani
