Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani takes the stage at his primary election party on Wednesday, June 25, 2025 in New York. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)
While he acknowledged Mamdani's victory in the primary, Cuomo left the door open to a November run as an independent candidate, which election rules in New York State permit.
"I want to look at all the numbers as they come in and analyze the rank choice voting. I will then consult with my colleagues on what is the best path for me to help the City of New York, as I have already qualified to run for mayor on an independent line in November," Cuomo said in a statement.
Cuomo was facing an end-of-the-day Friday deadline for candidates who had already qualified to run as independents to decline that independent ballot line.
The former governor will keep his place that he already secured earlier this year on the "Fight & Deliver" ballot line. But the sources said that Cuomo had not committed yet to running an active general election campaign through the summer and into the autumn.
If Cuomo drops out of the race at a later date, his name will stay on the general election ballot.
Former New York State Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the frontrunner in the race for the New York City Democratic Party mayoral primary, speaks to a large crowd of union supporters, on primary eve, June 23, 2025. (Paul Steinhauser - Fox News)
And a poll from a consulting and lobbying group that was aligned with an outside group supporting Cuomo released a poll on Thursday that suggested Mamdani and Cuomo tied in a possible general election matchup, with incumbent Mayor Eric Adams – a Democrat who's running for re-election as an independent – and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa far behind.
Sliwa, the founder of the volunteer crime-fighting patrols known as the Guardian Angels, ran for a second straight election cycle. Also running this November as an independent is former federal prosecutor Jim Walden.
Asked if Cuomo should drop out of the race, Mamdani said Thursday in an interview with Fox News affiliate WNYW in New York that "I think there's room for everyone because, ultimately, we're going to win it."
The 67-year-old Cuomo has spent the past four years fighting to clear his name after 11 sexual harassment accusations, which he has repeatedly denied, forced his resignation. He was also under investigation at the time for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic amid allegations his administration vastly understated COVID-related deaths at state nursing homes.
Last month, the Justice Department opened a criminal investigation into Cuomo after Republicans accused him of lying to Congress about the decisions he made as governor during the coronavirus pandemic.
Cuomo, thanks to his name recognition, was the front-runner in the polls even before he announced his candidacy earlier this year. But he ran a safe campaign that relied on union support, and he shied away from often engaging with local or national media.
Mamdani, meanwhile, made smart use of social media platforms, including TikTok, as he engaged the primary electorate. He proposed eliminating fares to ride New York City's vast bus system, making CUNY (City University of New York) "tuition-free," freezing rents on municipal housing, offering "free childcare" for children up to age five, and setting up government-run grocery stores.
New York Mayor Eric Adams speaks during a campaign launch rally at City Hall, Thursday, June. 26, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura) (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Adams, in formally launching his campaign on Thursday on the steps of City Hall, said "this is a city not of socialism," in an obvious jab at Mamdani's proposals.
"There's no dignity in someone giving you everything for free. There's dignity in giving you a job, so you can provide for your family and the opportunities that you deserve. This is not a city of handouts. This is a city of hands up."
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Adams' poll numbers were sinking even before he was indicted last year on five counts, which accused the mayor of bribery and fraud as part of an alleged "long-running" scheme to personally profit from contacts with foreign officials.
The mayor made repeated overtures to President Donald Trump, and the Justice Department earlier this year dismissed the corruption charges, so Adams could potentially work with the Trump administration on its illegal immigration crackdown.
He announced in early April that he would run for re-election as an independent and forgo the Democratic primary.
Paul Steinhauser is a politics reporter based in the swing state of New Hampshire. He covers the campaign trail from coast to coast."
Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox
Subscribed
You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter!
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/andrew-cuomo-confirms-will-stay-nyc-mayoral-race-independent-candidate