On Wednesday, Bill de Blasio dismissed the idea of Andrew Cuomo running for mayor, sparking a fiery rebuttal from Cuomo’s team, who didn’t hold back in attacking the former mayor’s legacy.
De Blasio was asked by NY1’s Jillian Jorgensen for his thoughts on the possibility of Cuomo launching a bid for City Hall. Without hesitation, he took a swipe at his longtime political adversary. “I don’t think he should be mayor,” de Blasio said, punctuating his remark with a laugh. “There you go, thank you.”
The response from Cuomo’s camp was swift and cutting. Spokesperson Jason Elan issued a sharply worded statement that began by labeling de Blasio as “the least popular mayor in New York City’s history.”
Elan’s statement continued: “New Yorkers know it was Governor Cuomo who raised wages for millions, passed the strongest paid family leave and gun violence prevention laws in the nation and built the Second Avenue Subway, the Moynihan Train Station and the new Kosciuszko Bridge, La Guardia and JFK airports and filled the leadership void during COVID. This city is in crisis and Governor Cuomo is the only person in this race with the experience to lead the proven record of results and that’s why he has built a broad coalition of support that reflects our great city and is leading in every borough, and with every race and gender.”
He added: “We’ll gladly take the support of our powerhouse union allies like HTC and 32BJ SEIU, nearly 30 current and former elected officials, 50 clergy members, and the 64% of New Yorkers polled this week who said they would support us over the least popular mayor in New York City’s history.”
De Blasio made the comment following an appearance with Mayor Eric Adams, who had just announced a proposal to dedicate $167 million annually to expanding early childhood education. That initiative—specifically universal Pre-K and 3-K—remains a signature achievement of de Blasio’s administration.
While he sidestepped questions about Cuomo during the event itself, de Blasio did eventually share his view when pressed later, clarifying that he has no intention of endorsing any candidate in the upcoming Democratic primary.
The history between Cuomo and de Blasio is marked by frequent and public battles during their overlapping time in office. They clashed repeatedly on key issues such as housing policy, education funding, and transportation infrastructure.
Their rivalry intensified during the scandal that ultimately brought Cuomo down in 2021. At the time, de Blasio was blunt in his assessment, telling reporters, “He used his power in a very Machiavellian way, he bullied people, he got his way—way too often.”
“Just get the h— out of the way,” de Blasio said then. “Maybe he could close off his career with one act of dignity and decency and just step aside.”
Reflecting on that turbulent political dynamic during Wednesday’s remarks, de Blasio quipped, “Some of you may have noticed I didn’t get along with the governor I served with most of the time. I’m forgetting his name right now. But he definitely was governor for a period of time when I served.”
{Matzav.com}