STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo received a union endorsement for his New York City mayoral campaign at a gathering in Great Kills with the Local 3 Staten Island Electrical Club of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Thursday evening.
And he used the opportunity to take a few shots at one of his challengers, Zohran Mamdani, who is running on the Democratic Party line.
Taking direct aim at Mamdani, he framed the election as a choice between “two fundamentally different philosophies” and pondered if New York would remain “a free market economy, a capitalist economy, or whether we are a socialist economy.”
“Zohran Mamdani is a socialist in the purest form of the word,” Cuomo said. “He is not running as a Democrat. He is a socialist and he believes in socialist philosophy. New York has always been a free-market capitalist society. We believe in the right to work. We believe in opportunity. That’s what brought people to New York. The ability to improve yourself, improve your family by working hard. Government didn’t control you.”
He went on to attribute specific positions to Mamdani, including claims that the assemblyman stated the NYPD “is corrupt, and a threat to public safety and should be disbanded” and that “jails should be abolished.”
“This is a totally different set of values than I was raised with, that you were raised with, that made this city the greatest city on the planet,” he went on to say. “Are we New Yorkers or are we socialists? New Yorkers are not socialists. We’re not Cuba. We’re not Venezuela. We’re not Nicaragua — we’re the home of the greatest labor unions in the nation.”
Published reports say Mamdani has previously criticized Cuomo as a symbol of establishment politics. Mamdani’s campaign didn’t immediately respond to an Advance/SILive.com request for comment following the event.
Asked by an Advance/SILive.com reporter why he considers himself the best candidate for the borough, Cuomo responded: “Because I’ve never forgotten Staten Island — and I never will. It’s a vital part of New York City, but it’s often been neglected and hasn’t received the attention it rightfully deserves. I recognize that, and as mayor, I’ll change that.”
Endorsement
Joe Santigate, assistant business manager of the New York City Construction Division of Local 3, introduced Cuomo to rousing applause inside the union’s packed meeting hall, calling it “a great night for Local 3” and “a great night for Andrew Cuomo.”
Santigate highlighted Cuomo’s connection to union leaders and praised the jobs Cuomo created as governor, stating that union members “all benefited by it,” and he expressed hope the union would “continue to benefit” should Cuomo be elected mayor.
“Local 3, I am so honored by your endorsement. From the bottom of my heart, thank you,” Cuomo said to the standing-room-only crowd.
As of this month, Cuomo, who’s running as an Independent, has received seven union endorsements, as three unions switched endorsements to Mamdani.
Going on to highlight his political experience, Cuomo told the audience he had been involved in many elections during his eight years as HUD secretary under President Bill Clinton and his 11 years as attorney general and governor. However, he characterized the current mayoral race as “the most important election I have ever been involved in.”
On housing affordability, Cuomo advocated for building more affordable housing, telling the union members, “we know how to build. You do it better than anyone on the damn globe.”
He cited construction projects, including the new LaGuardia Airport, Kennedy Airport, the Kosciuszko Bridge, the Mario Cuomo Bridge, the Second Avenue subway and the third track for the Long Island Railroad as examples of the city’s building capabilities.
“I need you to make your voice heard, because you are New York,” Cuomo said in closing before taking a handful of questions from the press.
Joe Campanella of Huguenot recalled meeting Cuomo while working in the tunnels of the New York City subway system. “It was the first time I’ve really seen a politician actually come out and brush elbows with the guys on the job and it’s nice to see.”
Campanella went on to say that should Cuomo be elected he would like to see the Staten Island Railway integrated into the New York City Subway system.
“He’s already proven that he’ll bring jobs to union members, and this is what we need,” Anthony Riccardelli of Woodrow said. “He seems like a regular person. He’s not just giving the answers he’s supposed to, and you’d expect him to say.”
According to the newest Marist poll released Tuesday, Mamdani maintains a commanding 21-point lead among likely voters when put up against Andrew Cuomo, Curtis Sliwa and Mayor Eric Adams.
The Democratic nominee scored support from 45% of those polled, compared to 24% for Cuomo. Sliwa, the Republican nominee in the race, earned 17%; Adams got the support from 9% of those polled, and 5% were still undecided.