Copyright The New York Times
Former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo walked off the mayoral debate stage Wednesday night and headed straight to Madison Square Garden, joining Mayor Eric Adams courtside in what felt like the prelude to an endorsement. The New York Knicks were on their way to defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers in their season opener, and Mr. Cuomo, who is trailing in the polls, seemed to be hoping for a campaign buzzer-beater. It was a photo op clearly meant to send a message around the city. Mr. Cuomo, who is running for mayor as an independent, still trails Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee, by double digits in the polls. After Mr. Adams, who had also been running for re-election as an independent, dropped out of the race last month, Mr. Cuomo gained nine points in one poll. He is eager to tap into the mayor’s dwindling reservoirs of support among Black voters and in the Orthodox Jewish community. Mr. Mamdani and the Republican nominee, Curtis Sliwa, both said during the debate that they would not accept Mr. Adams’s endorsement if it was offered. Only Mr. Cuomo said he would. Mr. Mamdani posted a picture of Mr. Adams and Mr. Cuomo at the game and wrote “corruption goes courtside.” Mr. Adams has not backed a mayoral candidate so far, but he posted a photo of himself with Mr. Cuomo at the game, too, and seemed to be on the verge of offering an endorsement. “We need to win for the city,” the mayor wrote. “Can’t go backwards.” Mr. Adams has been critical of Mr. Mamdani, calling his proposals to freeze rent on rent-stabilized apartments and to provide free buses fantasies. Before he dropped out of the race, the mayor rarely had a kind word for Mr. Cuomo, but on Wednesday evening, the two seemed like best buddies. Mr. Adams and Mr. Cuomo are bitter rivals with somewhat similar politics. Their platforms — pro-Israel, tough on crime and skeptical of the Democratic Socialist ideals that Mr. Mamdani embraces — often overlap. Mr. Adams is 65. Mr. Cuomo, 67. In the early stages of the race, Mr. Adams and Mr. Cuomo looked locked in a generational fight with Mr. Mamdani, 34, a state assemblyman who has rocketed to stardom with pledges to make the city more affordable. Both have ripped into Mr. Mamdani and accused him of socialist and extremist ideas. Mr. Adams’s own shot at a second term was derailed last year when he became the first sitting mayor in modern New York City history to be indicted. Federal prosecutors charged him with five counts of corruption, including bribery and soliciting illegal campaign donations. The charges were dropped after a recommendation from the Trump Justice Department. Mr. Adams has called Mr. Mamdani a “snake-oil salesman” and denounced his membership in the Democratic Socialists of America and some of his policies, such as decriminalizing prostitution and supporting the closing of the Rikers Island jail complex. Last week, Mr. Adams told reporters he was having conversations about a potential endorsement of Mr. Cuomo. “Don’t let anyone fool you to believe this race is over,” Mr. Adams said during a recent interview on “The Reset Talk Show.” “Trust me, there’s a lot of time to determine who’s going to be the next mayor of the City of New York.” It is unclear how much Mr. Adams’s endorsement would help Mr. Cuomo. Yvette Buckner, a Democratic political strategist, said that fewer than 10 percent of voters remained undecided, and Mr. Adams’s support was already diminished. “The window for movement is small,” Ms. Buckner said. “And there’s no clear indication that Adams’s supporters would automatically migrate to Cuomo, even with an endorsement from the mayor.” Before both the debate and game began, Mr. Adams appeared on the Knicks’ pregame show and talked up the economic benefits of having a successful professional sports franchise based in New York City. Unprompted, he joked that he was endorsing the Knicks’ star guard Jalen Brunson for mayor. “Just how much they give back to our city,” Mr. Adams said. “They are just a great team. This is a dynasty that’s being built.”
