Remember Andrew Yang? Mayor Eric Adams sure does. The Democrat who made his name on universal basic income took a crack at the office of NYC mayor after washing out of the Democratic presidential primary in 2020.
Yang led by a hefty margin in the early days of the race to replace Bill De Blasio. Adams was eager to point out this bit of the historical record today following the release of a poll showing another Andrew--ex-New York Governor Andrew Cuomo--atop a broad field of candidates.
NYC MAYOR DEM (Hart Research): Ex-Gov Andrew Cuomo 32%, ex-NYC Compt Scott Stringer 10%, NYC Compt Brad Lander 8%, St Sen Jessica Ramos 7%, Mayor Eric Adams 6%, St Asmb Zohran Mamdani 6% https://t.co/EpUAYEmcDQ
— Politics1.com (@Politics1com) January 13, 2025
Anything can happen between now and November, but the early data must come as a disappointment for all the trailing candidates. Conventional wisdom would hold that Cuomo, tarred with a sex scandal and stained by his Covid policies, would have a hard time finding support.
However, as we have reported for months, things are different here. Call Gothamites what you will--forgetful, heartless, uninformed, brainwashed blue--but they are practical. Adams was elected because he was a cop, and New Yorkers wanted law and order.
That didn't work out so well.
Cuomo, for his manifold faults, is still an effective politician. He is a known power player who can get things done. New Yorkers bent the law to let Mike Bloomberg serve three terms. Perhaps they'll let the laws Cuomo bent, and the families he broke, be bygones.
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Cuomo was referred for criminal prosecution by the House Covid Committee. It remains to be seen whether that case will be taken up by the federal attorney selected by the incoming Trump administration, and what role, if any, such a case might play in the mayoral election.
For now, Adams can claim this all feels like "deja vu," but he has a steep uphill slog to win back the hearts and minds of voters. They have watched the Southern District pursue Adams with nearly the same vigor they unleashed on president-elect Donald Trump. While it might seem similarly like lawfare to wonks and insiders, to the low-info voter, it likely appears as if Adams is deeply corrupt.
For now, two things are clear: Cuomo is clearly the man to beat, and Adams has a lot of work to do. Yang was seen as a dilettante, probing the idea of New York. Cuomo is a lion in winter, seeking a career legacy capstone, and if history is a guide, his campaign will be ruthless.
