Zohran Mamdani's opposition struggles to unite in New York City mayoral race

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/07/07/politics/zohran-mamdani-opposition-struggles


Workers dismantle the stage during Andrew Cuomo's election-night watch party for the Democratic primary in New York City on June 24. Andres Kudacki/Getty Images

New York
CNN
—
Fresh off losing New York’s Democratic primary for mayor to Zohran Mamdani, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Monday ramped up his efforts to push the incumbent mayor, Eric Adams, out of the race.

Cuomo’s latest gambit to keep alive his mayoral bid — and his political comeback after resigning as governor — is backing a proposal that all Mamdani challengers adhere to the results of a poll that would be taken in September, weeks before the November election. Whichever candidate is deemed by the survey to be the strongest challenger to Mamdani would continue their campaign. The rest of the field would agree to suspend their campaigns and endorse that challenger. The proposal would need the approval of the city’s campaign finance board.

Speaking on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” on Monday, Adams said Cuomo recently called him to suggest he should step aside and clear a lane for him to compete against Mamdani, the 33-year-old state assemblyman and democratic socialist. “I’m the sitting mayor of the city of New York and you expect me to step aside when you just lost to Zohran?” Adams said during the interview. Adams, who opted to sit out the Democratic primary and is running as an independent, described Cuomo’s request as “the highest level of arrogance.”

Cuomo remains on the November ballot as the candidate of the “Fight and Deliver Party” but has not held any public events since primary night or committed to campaigning through November. In a statement issued by Cuomo campaign spokesperson Rich Azzopardi on Monday, the former governor’s campaign did not appear any closer to bowing out of the race. “Mayor Adams did not run in the Democratic primary because he knew he was anathema to Democrats and unelectable. Nothing has changed. We do not see any path to victory for Mayor Adams,” Azzopardi said.

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