New York City mayoral independent candidate and former governor, Andrew Cuomo, made a direct appeal to Republican voters on Sunday, urging them to vote for him. Cuomo stated that voting for Curtis Sliwa was essentially the same as voting for Zohran Mamdani.
Cuomo expressed his views on WABC 770AM’s “Cats Roundtable” program, emphasizing that Curtis Sliwa is a disruptive element in the competition, and by voting for him, voters would effectively be supporting Mamdani.
According to Cuomo, Curtis is unlikely to win as 70% of voters are Democrats, and no polls indicate that he stands a chance of victory. Cuomo suggested that Curtis should strive to gather enough votes and then graciously allow Mamdani to become mayor. If Curtis refuses to step down, he would inadvertently be paving the way for Mamdani’s victory.
Speaking to host and supermarket/media tycoon John Catsimatidis, Cuomo advised Republican listeners to vote as New Yorkers rather than strictly along party lines. He stressed that voting for Curtis meant effectively supporting Zohran, urging voters to act in the best interest of the city.
Cuomo further commented, “You will hear people say: Curtis loves New York. No, he doesn’t love New York, he loves Curtis.”
With only 16 days left until November 4, Cuomo acknowledged the dwindling time to catch up to Mamdani in the mayoral race. In recent polls, Cuomo is in second place, trailing behind Mamdani, with Curtis lagging behind both. Political analysts believe that only if Curtis’ supporters shift their allegiance to Cuomo, will he have a chance of defeating Mamdani.
A recent poll by Quinnipiac University revealed that after Mayor Adams announced he would not seek re-election, most of his supporters shifted to Cuomo, despite Mamdani’s sustained 13-point lead. Cuomo praised Adams for making way for a better chance to defeat Mamdani by deciding not to run again.
Even Adams, despite his dislike for Cuomo, expressed the sentiment that it would be preferable for Cuomo to win over the socialist Mamdani.
Cuomo criticized Sliwa, stating that he should be condemned for continuing to run and potentially paving the way for Mamdani’s victory.
In seeking support from Republicans, Cuomo invoked former New York City Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia’s words, stating that the way to clean up the city has no distinction between party lines.
“Republicans want this city to function well… I will make that happen,” Cuomo assured.
Sliwa, on Nate Friedman’s show on Saturday, asserted that Republicans could effectively govern the city under his leadership.
In response to Cuomo’s plea for his supporters, Sliwa questioned Cuomo’s reliance on his votes for victory, implying that if his votes are crucial, why should he need assistance. He criticized Cuomo for betraying everyone in the Democratic primary, and called on Cuomo to earn his votes on his own merit.