As ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo tries to reboot his mayoral marketing campaign, promising to deploy a extra expansive and efficient floor sport than he did within the main, to date he’s largely pounding the pavement in neighborhoods that supported him within the main.
Cuomo vowed to change up his method to the race when he introduced on July 14 he was staying within the race as an impartial. He conceded he “played it safe” within the main in opposition to Zohran Mamdani and promised to “meet voters where they are” and be extra aggressive in his assaults.
For the reason that re-launch, Cuomo’s marketing campaign has posted footage of the ex-governor visiting housing complexes within the Bronx and Queens, East New York and Brownsville, Staten Island and the Higher West Facet – gravitating towards spots Cuomo both received or through which he was aggressive within the main.
“In the early stages of the general election, it seems like he is spending his candidate time in similar areas that his campaign prioritized in the primary,” Democratic strategist Journey Yang stated.
Yang famous that neighborhoods with extra reasonable main voters possible can even have extra reasonable normal election voters — a key section of the citizens for Cuomo. Locations that turned out nicely for Cuomo in June are considerably more likely to prove for him in November, too, Yang famous.
However the strategist stated it appears Cuomo is “playing it somewhat safe” by visiting locations the place he did comparatively nicely. Cuomo has shied away from locations like Williamsburg, Astoria and Park Slope, the place Mamdani beat him by extensive margins and the ex-gov is unlikely to interrupt by, particularly working on an impartial line.
“This is a new campaign and we’ll be everywhere and talking to everybody,” Azzopardi added. “Some of the areas we’ve been in we did well in in the primary, some we came up short, but in all cases we believe there’s room to improve especially with a general electorate and more eyes on the race as we head toward November.”
The marketing campaign famous that, in complete, Cuomo has been in sixteen neighborhoods since his re-launch, together with Midtown, Washington Heights and Hollis, Queens, and plans to go to Jackson Heights, East Harlem and Gowanus over the weekend.
Joined by his daughters, from left, Cara Kennedy-Cuomo, Mariah Kennedy-Cuomo and son-in-law Tellef Lundevall, Mayoral candidate Andrew Cuomo, heart, speaks to supporters throughout a Democratic main watch celebration, Tuesday, June 24, 2025, in New York. (Yuki Iwamura/AP)
The candidate, who was criticized for his “rose garden” technique within the main, has been a bit extra accessible to the press to date in his normal run, doing a variety of one-on-one interviews with reporters.
Cuomo stated on Wednesday that he’s banking on a “different audience” within the November election.
“It’s a different electorate,” he stated on CNBC. “It’s bigger, it’s more moderate. It’s more Queens, outer borough. You have independents, you have Republicans voting. So it’s a totally different ball game in the general.”
The marketing campaign additionally seems to be taking taken a cue from Mamdani, posting extra informal, conversational movies of the ex-governor. Mamdani’s floor outreach effort, paired with an aggressive social media presence, is broadly credited as serving to unfold his affordability-centric messaging.
Cuomo is seen within the movies shaking palms with locals on the road, visiting senior facilities and ordering meals at native eating places in locations like Co-op Metropolis, the place he beat Mamdani by over 45 factors, and Lefrak Metropolis, the place he received by over 30 factors.
“Cuomo looks like he’s had a couple more sips of coffee but it may not be strong enough,” Yang stated of the marketing campaign’s efforts to change issues up.
Cuomo is going through an array of challenges.
Mamdani received the first by 13 factors in an upset victory that took the political institution and rich donor class largely without warning. Unions, together with people who backed Cuomo within the main, and highly effective politicians like Rep. Adriano Espaillat have endorsed him in current weeks.
Cuomo can also be battling incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, with each candidates staking out extra reasonable, business-friendly positions than Mamdani.
Some donors who backed Cuomo within the main are gravitating to Adams as the very best wager at defeating the democratic socialist Mamdani. Adams has seen a surge in fundraising {dollars} and picked up the endorsements of varied legislation enforcement unions.
Initially Revealed: July 26, 2025 at 4:00 PM EDT
