Andrew Cuomo fights for his political life and his version of the Democratic Party

Andrew Cuomo fights for his political life and his version of the Democratic Party

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NEW YORK — When former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo talks about Zohran Mamdani's lack of experience, it's impossible to miss the outrage that drives Cuomo as he fights to end his own time in the political wilderness.

"He is dangerously unqualified," Cuomo said Saturday during an appearance in Queens. "When you are mayor of the city of New York, that is a big job. You are responsible for eight and a half million lives. Mayor of New York City should not be your first job."

This would not be a first job for Mamdani, who turned 34 last month. He was once a rapper who performed under the name Mr. Cardamom, a gig Cuomo regularly mocks. But Mamdani was elected as a state assemblyman serving in New York's legislature since 2020.

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Still, the difference between the two leading mayoral candidates' resumes is significant.

Cuomo, age 67, led the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development under President Clinton in the late 1990s. In 2006, he was elected New York state attorney general, and he served as governor for a decade beginning in 2011.

Cuomo was often controversial — clashing with Democrats in Albany and Washington, D.C., almost as often as he feuded with Republicans — but he also built a reputation as a leader who tackled big problems and took on large-scale projects.

"He has governed as a pragmatist, focused on solving problems rather than engaging in ideological or partisan warfare," said former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg, in his endorsement of Cuomo.

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