Mayor Adams largely — although not utterly — kept away from criticizing former Gov. Andrew Cuomo Monday, two days after he entered the race with sweeping criticisms over how New York is being run.
Amongst Cuomo’s many digs, he mentioned in a marketing campaign announcement video that the town must be “saved,” sparking a jab from Adams.
“I do believe we need to be saved from him,” Adams mentioned.
However for essentially the most half, the mayor caught to speaking about his personal report throughout his weekly press availability Monday. The mayor’s measured response to Cuomo’s weekend comeback announcement stood in distinction to the opposite candidates within the crowded area, who’ve fiercely attacked the previous governor.
The mayor mentioned he didn’t take concern “at all” with a veiled dig from Cuomo in his marketing campaign video, the place he slammed a “lack of intelligent action” in metropolis politics.
“At debate times, we could go over the intelligent actions that we’ve taken and the intelligent actions that he took as governor,” Adams mentioned.
Cuomo, in saying his run for mayor over the weekend, took implied pictures at Adams’ management.
“We need a government that can actually perform, we need a government with leadership that can take a stand and get things done,” Cuomo mentioned.
Requested whether or not there’s something in Cuomo’s report as governor which may disqualify him from being mayor, Adams merely replied, “We’re gonna do that on the trail.”
Cuomo was accused by 11 girls of sexual harassment — accusations the state lawyer common substantiated in a while. He additionally got here below fireplace for a coverage directing nursing properties to readmit sufferers recovering from COVID.
“We’ll let the voters decide,” Cuomo spokesman Wealthy Azzopardi mentioned in a textual content.
Adams mentioned Monday that Cuomo must reply for these controversies on the marketing campaign path and mentioned they need to not stop him from operating.
Adams mentioned he wouldn’t throw down from his podium at Metropolis Corridor on the recommendation of his lawyer, though minutes later he did slam Comptroller Brad Lander’s marketing campaign as a copycat after Lander mentioned he’d retain Jessica Tisch as police commissioner.
“They knew all the time I was right,” he mentioned. “And so Brad, ‘I’m going to hire Eric Adams’ police commissioner.’ It’s just another signature that people realize I navigated the system, city. I knew what I was doing.”
The mayor withdrew from a candidate discussion board final week, the place he was imagined to face off towards his mayoral challengers for the primary time this election cycle.
In contrast to his rivals, the mayor has restricted seen marketing campaign infrastructure. He put up a marketing campaign web site simply final week. On Monday, he wouldn’t identify a marketing campaign supervisor or spokesman.
Regardless of that, the mayor has insisted he’s operating for reelection, calling a second time period the “gravy” to his first time period’s “meat and potatoes.”
“I have a full stomach with the meat and potatoes,” he mentioned. “I’m going to show New Yorkers why I should be Term 2.”
Initially Printed: March 3, 2025 at 4:24 PM EST
