Weeks after suspending his impartial mayoral marketing campaign, Jim Walden formally endorsed Andrew Cuomo on Thursday and urged all remaining candidates moreover Democratic front-runner Zohran Mamdani to additionally line up behind the ex-governor.
In a press release, Walden — a lawyer who launched a long-shot bid however by no means pulled greater than 1% assist in polls of November’s mayoral election — harassed his endorsement of Cuomo is largely geared toward stopping Mamdani, a democratic socialist.
A political average, Walden argued Mamdani can solely win the November contest “if centrist votes are split” between Cuomo, Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa and Mayor Adams, who’s additionally working as an impartial. Cuomo has constantly polled as essentially the most potent menace to Mamdani.
“Uniting in support of one candidate, Andrew Cuomo, is the only way to save New York from extremism, and prevent the city from becoming a cautionary tale for the entire country,” mentioned Walden, who’s identified for representing high-profile purchasers. “Mayor Adams and Curtis Sliwa have run spirited campaigns. They have earned respect. But the time has come. For the love of this city, they must step aside.”
Spokespeople for Sliwa and Mamdani didn’t instantly return requests for remark.
A spokesman for Adams, who has constantly positioned final within the polls, rejected Walden’s request for the mayor to bow out of the race.
“Mayor Adams is focused on protecting families, strengthening our communities, and ensuring New York remains a city of opportunity and safety for everyone,” mentioned Adams’ spokesman Todd Shapiro. “That is the choice voters will make, and that is why Mayor Adams will prevail.”
As a result of the deadline has handed to take away them, Walden and all the opposite remaining candidates will nonetheless have their names seem on November’s poll it doesn’t matter what.
Walden provided some reward for Cuomo, saying he has the capability to enact “real solutions, grounded in experience, not the empty promises of an inexperienced Zohran Mamdani.”
Cuomo, who resigned as governor in 2021 amid sexual {and professional} misconduct accusations that he now denies, thanked Walden for placing “the future of New York ahead of personal ambition.”
“Jim has always been a fighter for accountability and justice in this city, and his endorsement is a testament to the urgency of this election and the need for experienced leadership to keep New York safe, affordable, and strong for future generations,” Cuomo mentioned in a press release.
