Former New York governor Andrew Cuomo is acknowledging that his Democratic mayoral primary loss to Queens Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani was, at least in part, his own doing — and says he’s changing course.
In candid interviews with the New York Daily News while riding the Q train Wednesday, Cuomo admitted he ran a lackluster campaign that failed to connect with voters. “It was my campaign, I take the responsibility — period,” he said. “The buck stops with me, and we did not effectively communicate.”
Cuomo’s primary strategy relied heavily on television ads from a supportive super PAC and avoided much direct voter contact. It was a “Rose Garden” approach that many political observers thought would be enough, given polling that initially showed him leading comfortably. But Mamdani’s grassroots, high-energy campaign — built on face-to-face outreach and an affordability-focused platform — defeated Cuomo by 12 points on June 24.
Now, running as an independent in November’s general election, Cuomo is promising a more hands-on style. His revamped strategy includes hiring a new campaign manager, a fresh social media team, and a new consulting firm to replace his longtime PR shop, Mercury. “Better use with social media, reaching out to more young people and touching more people,” he said, explaining his pivot to more retail politics: riding subways, walking neighborhoods, and engaging voters directly.
On Wednesday’s train ride from 96th Street to 72nd Street, Cuomo made a point of highlighting his accomplishments as governor — particularly the section of the Second Avenue subway his administration helped build. He even stopped to point out a plaque bearing his name. Later, he visited an affordable housing complex in East New York he helped develop in the 1980s, drawing praise from longtime tenants.
Despite the rebrand, Cuomo’s messaging still leans on portraying himself as an experienced, battle-tested leader in a city facing challenges such as a housing crisis and federal funding cuts from the Trump administration. He’s also sharpening his attacks on Mamdani, painting the 33-year-old Democrat as inexperienced and “too radical” for the job. “He’s not a Democrat,” Cuomo said bluntly. “A socialist won in the Democratic primary.”
Cuomo’s own housing proposals remain vague, but he insists his focus will be on pragmatic governance. Still, the road ahead is steep. Mamdani enters the general election as the favorite in heavily Democratic New York City, bolstered by strong union backing and a loyal base of young voters.
Complicating matters further for Cuomo, Mayor Eric Adams is also running as an independent, targeting a similar bloc of moderate and conservative voters. Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa adds yet another competitor in the crowded race.
To counter the fractured field, Cuomo has floated an unusual plan: all independent and Republican candidates should agree to drop out in September and unite behind whichever one is polling strongest against Mamdani. So far, Adams and Sliwa have rejected the idea outright.
Cuomo remains hopeful that Adams — facing his own troubles from a corruption indictment and ties to Trump — might reconsider if the polls shift. “If I’m the stronger candidate, he should defer,” Cuomo said. But Adams’ camp was blunt in response. “There is no chance of that — none, zero, zilch,” said campaign chairman Frank Carone, touting the mayor’s record on crime reduction, small business growth, and housing construction.
For now, Cuomo is betting that a more aggressive, public-facing campaign can revive his fortunes. But with Mamdani holding the momentum and Adams siphoning potential supporters, the ex-governor’s comeback bid may hinge on convincing voters that this time, he’s not playing it safe.
