Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo Says Now Is the Time To Run, Announces Bid for New York City Mayor

Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has officially announced a run for New York City Mayor. The Democrat Cuomo is attempting a political comeback after he resigned from office in while facing allegations of sexual harassment and misuse of state resources, which he denies. The Queens native spent months inching toward entering the mayoral race, which included preemptive endorsements from Bronx Representative Ritchie Torres and former state Comptroller Carl McCall. Speaking in Manhattan Sunday, Cuomo says now is the time to run because the country’s democratic process is in jeopardy.

“We must do it not just for New Yorkers because there's something bigger going on right now," Cuomo said. "We must do it right now because New York stands for something bigger. It is a national and international symbol. And at this time when the nation is searching for its soul, when it's divided as never before, when it's questioning our democratic values, it's questioning the very role of government, it's questioning the balance of power. New York must show the way forward.”

The former governor joins a crowded Democratic primary field that includes the current mayor, Eric Adams, and a handful of candidates to their left. Calls to remove Adams have grown as the Justice Department pushes to drop charges against Adams, who is facing calls to step down as he cooperates with Trump administration immigration policies. Adams was indicted on federal corruption charges in September, which he denies. Primary Day is set for June 24th.

THIS ARTICLE WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON WAMC.