Cuomo ‘In It to Win It,’ Staying in NYC Mayoral Race as Independent

After losing the Democratic primary, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo says he will run in the general election and vows to earn votes by campaigning.

New York City mayoral candidate and former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (C) speaks during an election party following the primaries at the Carpenters Union in New York City on June 24, 2025. John Lamparski/AFP via Getty Images

Former Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on July 14 that he will remain in the New York City mayor’s race, weeks after losing the Democratic primary.

“To the 440,000 New Yorkers who voted for me, a sincere thank you,” Cuomo said in a video statement posted on social media platform X. “Thank you for believing in me and my agenda and in my experience. And I am truly sorry that I let you down.”

Cuomo lost the Democratic nomination in June to Zohran Mamdani, a state assemblyman. Mamdani officially became the Democratic nominee on July 1, winning 56 percent of the vote after three rounds of ranked-choice tabulation, according to certified results published by the city’s Board of Elections. Cuomo received 44 percent.

The former governor conceded on election night, but not until the video announcement did he confirm that he would remain in the race.

“The fight to save our city isn’t over,” Cuomo stated. “Only 13 percent of New Yorkers voted in the June primary. The general election is in November, and I am in it to win it.”

In the video, Cuomo presented himself as a contrast to Mamdani, accusing him of offering “slick slogans, but no real solutions.” Cuomo promised to campaign in person across the five boroughs.

“For the next few months it’s my responsibility to earn your vote,” he told New Yorkers.

“Every day, I’m gonna be hitting the streets, meeting you where you are—to hear the good and the bad, problems and solutions.”

Cuomo will face both Mamdani and incumbent Mayor Eric Adams in the general election. Adams, who won the 2021 race as the Democratic nominee, opted to skip the primary and is running for reelection as an independent.

Cuomo’s decision sets up a rare three-way contest and highlights a broader split within the Democratic Party between more moderate Democrats and the left wing of the party. Mamdani’s surprise win tested calls for moderation from national Democratic leaders following former Vice President Kamala Harris’s 2024 loss to Donald Trump.

Cuomo, who resigned from the governorship in 2021 amid sexual harassment allegations, entered the mayoral race with support from prominent Democratic figures including former President Bill Clinton, former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, and Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.).

Mamdani, a self-described democratic socialist, ran on a platform focused on cost-of-living issues, including rent freezes and fare-free public transit.

Mamdani’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment. Shortly after Cuomo’s video was posted, Mamdani replied to the post on X with a link to donate to his own campaign.

Also running as an independent is Jim Walden, a lawyer and first-time political candidate.

Curtis Sliwa, the Republican nominee for mayor, who lost to Adams in 2021, has called Mamdani “too extreme for a city already on edge” in a post on X. Sliwa has an uphill battle fighting for votes in the heavily Democratic-leaning city, where he received 302,680 votes to Adams’s 753,801 in the last election.

The general election will be held on Nov. 4.