Cuomo Hitting Up Key Unions as He Lays the Groundwork for Potential NYC Mayoral Run

(New York Daily News/TNS) — Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has quietly been reaching out to politically influential labor leaders, a move being seen by many as a clear sign the disgraced governor’s plans to engineer a comeback are picking up steam.

Multiple labor sources told the New York Daily News that Cuomo has been in frequent contact with union leaders of late to discuss what he views as failures on both the city and state levels, issues that could reflect poorly on both Mayor Eric Adams and Gov. Kathy Hochul. Cuomo has floated the possibility of a Democratic primary run, though it remains unclear under what circumstances that might happen.

One source describing the former governor as making a “direct” pitch, albeit one couched with an “if.”

“He would win hands down if he decided to get in” was how the labor source described a recent conversation with Cuomo.

The source, who spoke under the condition of anonymity to discuss the politically sensitive topic, interpreted the comment to mean a run that did not include going head-to-head against Adams — a scenario sources have previously said Cuomo would likely avoid.

Cuomo, the source said, shared polling to back up his claim and minimized the chances of former city Comptroller Scott Stringer and state Sen. Zellnor Myrie, who have both announced they’re exploring mayoral runs.

“He’s largely just staying on top of people and trying to reaffirm that he’d be the Goliath in the race,” the source said.

A source close to Cuomo said the only recollection the former governor had of discussing a political run with a labor leader involved a potential run against Hochul, stemming from low approval ratings.

Conventional wisdom in political circles around whether Cuomo runs for mayor is that he’s almost certain to jump in if Adams drops out — but if Adams remains, he’s more likely to sit a primary out.

Some political observers, however, view that calculus as potentially shifting.

“He’s more acutely going after the mayor, which leaves the impression he’s less likely to sit it out if the mayor is in the race,” the labor source said.

After appearing on a near-daily basis on national television during the pandemic for his COVID briefings, Cuomo resigned amid a harassment scandal. In the immediate aftermath, he kept a relatively low profile.

That’s shifted in recent months, though, with him speaking publicly about anti-Israel campus protests, congestion pricing and arsenic found in the blood tests of public housing residents.

One of those sources said it isn’t entirely clear which elected post Cuomo might be aiming to run for — mayor or governor — but that it’s abundantly apparent he’s preparing a next move.

“He’s just circling around the wounded prey to see who he’s going to take out,” the source said. “He’s looking for the opportunity to reinsert himself into public office, back into everyone’s lives.”

Other labor sources described Cuomo’s private conversations as less pointed and liken recent contact he’s had with union leaders to his past practice of “checking in,” as one of them put it.

Various police unions have been the object of such check-ins ever since he resigned, according to Ken Frydman, who represents the NYPD detectives’ union and has represented municipal organized labor organizations for decades.

“Career politicians like Cuomo never stop talking to the unions,” he said.

Another labor source noted Cuomo hasn’t explicitly mentioned a City Hall run, but that it’s clear “he sees what kind of trouble the mayor is in.”