Mayor Adams endorsed Andrew Cuomo in the race for City Hall on Thursday — a stunning turnaround for the incumbent, who just a few weeks ago accused the ex-governor of being “a snake and a liar” who was behind an effort to push him out of the contest.
Adams, who dropped his own bid for reelection last month after polling last in the race, sought to downplay his past harsh criticism of the ex-governor, saying “brothers fight” but know how to “come together” at the right time to protect “the family.”
“Now it’s time to fight for the family, and I’m going to fight for the family with Andrew Cuomo as the next mayor,” Adams said after embracing Cuomo at a Thursday afternoon endorsement press conference in Harlem.
According to a source close to Cuomo, Adams is expected to start stumping for the ex-governor’s campaign in outer-borough neighborhoods home to the mayor’s politically moderate base. Cuomo and Adams are also likely to make some more joint appearances before the Nov. 4 election, the source said.
Cuomo is facing a steep polling deficit against Democratic front-runner Zohran Mamdani, who has held a lead in the race for months and is being boosted by significant support from labor unions and other local political power-brokers.
In endorsing Cuomo, Adams acknowledged he remains bitter about the state of the race. “Am I angry that I’m not the one taking down Zohran, the socialist and the communist? You’re darn right that I am,” said Adams.
Mamdani, who is not a communist, has vowed vowed to hike taxes on the rich to fund expanded social programs and freeze the rent for stabilized tenants. He won June’s Democratic mayoral primary with a larger share of votes than Adams did in the 2021 election, but the mayor lambasted his supporters as a group of “gentrifiers” who pose a threat to the city.
“We’re fighting against a snake oil salesman that has sold us a bill of goods,” he said. “And who is his base of support? Gentrifiers. Gentrifiers … have disrespected communities for far too long, and he’s the king of the gentrifiers.”
With early voting starting Saturday, it’s unclear how much of a bump Adams’ endorsement might give Cuomo.
Adams, who’s set to leave office Jan. 1, is reeling from record low approval ratings, having last year been indicted on federal corruption charges that were later quashed by President Trump’s administration amid controversy.
After Adams exited the race on Sept. 28, Cuomo gained ground on Mamdani in the polls, but still trailed him by double digits. Adams had consistently only drawn about 10% support in polls of the race before killing his campaign.
Cuomo characterized Adams’ endorsement as a boon that could help push him over the edge.
“The mayor put his own ambition aside because he cares more about New York City,” he said. “And he believes Zohran is an existential threat to New York City, and we all have to do our best to make sure Zohran does not become the next mayor.”
Asked by the Daily News if he offered Adams anything in return for the endorsement, Cuomo only said: “Love.”
Adams’ decision to throw his weight behind Cuomo comes one day after The News reported the mayor had been talking to faith leaders about endorsing the ex-gov. It also comes one day after Cuomo, immediately following his second and final mayoral debate performance, zipped over to Madison Square Garden to watch the first Knicks game of the NBA season with Adams.
While still in the race, Adams railed harshly against Cuomo, blaming him for spearheading an effort to get him out of the way to maximize the ex-gov’s chances against Mamdani.
On the trail, Adams also accused the ex-governor of having a record of ruining the careers of Black politicians, such as Carl McCall, a 2002 gubernatorial candidate whose campaign fizzled after Cuomo ran against him.
“Andrew Cuomo is a snake and a liar,” Adams said Sept. 5.
Despite the acrimony, Cuomo and Adams are politically aligned, with both men embracing moderate views on public safety and other key issues.
Adams said at an earlier press conference Thursday that free child care should be reserved for those who really need it, echoing a theme of Cuomo’s campaign.
“We would like to scale it up, but it should not be scaled up to those who don’t need the support,” Adams said.
By contrast, Mamdani has centered his campaign on proposals to make child care as well as some other social services free for all New Yorkers, regardless of income, arguing it’s needed at a time of spiraling costs of living.
“It’s no surprise to see two men who share an affinity for corruption and Trump capitulation align themselves at the behest of the billionaire class and the president himself,” Mamdani said in a statement on Adams’ endorsement. “We are going to turn the page on the politics of big money and small ideas that these two disgraced executives embody and build a city every New Yorker can afford.”
Adams’ flip to back Cuomo comes after one of his most trusted advisers, Frank Carone, has been privately pressing him to get behind the ex-governor, as first reported by The News last week.
Carone was the chairman of Adams’ reelection campaign and has been his chief political confidant for years. Immediately after Adams’ campaign suspension, Carone announced he would work to get Cuomo elected instead.
Before the tumult of this year’s campaign, Adams and Cuomo were friendly.
Shortly after he took office in January 2022, Adams faced some pushback for sitting down for dinner with Cuomo, who had just months earlier resigned as governor amid sexual and professional misconduct accusations he now denies.
Originally Published: October 23, 2025 at 11:21 AM EDT
