Adams endorses Cuomo for NYC mayor after suspending his own campaign
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Mayor Eric Adams formally endorsed former Gov. Andrew Cuomo as New York City’s next mayor Thursday, less than a month after Adams suspended his re-election campaign.
The confirmation follows the final mayoral debate on Wednesday night, which pitted Cuomo, who is running as an Independent, against Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa. Instead of speaking to reporters after the debate, Cuomo went to Madison Square Garden to watch the end of the New York Knicks game with Adams.
“I’m fighting for the New York family,” Adams said. “That’s why I’m here today, to support Andrew Cuomo and to be a part of this fight, and I’m going to spend the next few days helping him reassure us, especially the Black and Brown communities who believe there’s nothing at stake for them in this election.”
Adams spokesman Todd Shapiro confirmed to Fox News on Thursday that the mayor will support Cuomo. The New York Times was the first to write give approval.
NYC MAYOR ADAMS SUPPORTS CUOMO IN RACE AGAINST MAMDANI
New York City Mayor Eric Adams poses with Independent candidate former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo at Madison Square Garden on October 22, 2025 in New York City. (Al Bello/Getty Images)
“Today confirms what we’ve known for a long time: Andrew Cuomo is running for Eric Adams’ second term,” Mamdani said in a statement Thursday. he said. “It is no surprise to see two men with an affinity for corruption and Trump’s capitulation aligning themselves at the behest of the billionaire class and the President himself. We will turn a new page to the politics of big money and small ideas embodied by these two disgraced executives and build a city every New Yorker can afford.”
NEW POLL reveals Mamdani’s lead shrinking as CUOMO gains ground at NYC Showdown
Mamdani repeated his criticism of the confirmation during a campaign event in Manhattan on Thursday.
“We also know that this is the art of the deal,” Mamdani said. “At a moment when New Yorkers are looking for an answer to the authoritarianism we see in Washington, D.C., we know that they do not want to see City Hall continue to be an embassy of the same administration.”
Pressure had been mounting since Mamdani won the Democratic primary for Adams or Cuomo to drop out of the race to shore up support against Mamdani.
Adams announced he was suspending his campaign on Sunday, Sept. 28, in a video encouraging leading mayoral candidates to sharpen their political attacks on each other.
Similar pressure from billionaires, including Red Apple Media CEO John Catsimatidis and hedge fund CEO Bill Ackman, intensified this week to have Sliwa drop out of the race to clear a path to victory for Cuomo.
The Democratic candidate, who easily defeated Cuomo in the primary, revealed Adams’ own remarks against the former governor after he suspended his re-election campaign.
“Just hearing the way Eric Adams described Andrew Cuomo as a snake and a liar is something I’ve heard from a lot of New Yorkers who want to turn the page,” Mamdani said.
New York City Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani answers questions from reporters in Manhattan on Friday, Oct. 17, 2025. (Fox News Digital/Deirdre Heavey)
Adams voiced his own criticism of Adams during Thursday’s announcement.
“He called me names. But you know what? Now is the time to fight for family, and I will fight for family with Andrew Cuomo, the next mayor of New York City,” Adams said.
The latest Fox News poll, conducted Oct. 10-14 ahead of last week’s first general election debate, found Mamdani with a significant lead in the race. According to the poll, Mamdani has a 21-point lead among registered voters in New York City; 49% of voters support Mamdani, while 28% support Cuomo and 13% support Sliwa.
Mamdani also garnered 52% support among likely voters, above the 50% threshold, while Cuomo received 28% support and Sliwa received only 14%.
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But as social media-savvy candidate Mamdani warned her followers on Wednesday, Cuomo was the favorite to win the nomination just weeks before the Democratic primary.
By solidifying her support with New York City Comptroller Brad Lander and cross-certifying each other to unseat Cuomo through ranked-choice voting, Mamdani deflected the political unrest that has since catapulted her onto the national stage.
