Former President Clinton endorses Cuomo for mayor
On the 22nd, the last day of early voting for the New York City mayoral primary, former President Bill Clinton endorsed the candidate with the highest popularity in the polls, former Governor Andrew Cuomo. Clinton, who once worked with Cuomo, praised him as a “fighter who can make the government work effectively.”
Cuomo served in the Clinton administration for eight years and served as its housing secretary between 1997 and 2001. In this public endorsement, Clinton recorded an automated voice call calling on voters to support Cuomo; experts believe that Clinton’s voice is expected to encourage more older voters to vote for Cuomo on the primary election day on the 24th (Tuesday).
“I hired Cuomo because he knows how to get things done; we worked together to solve the problem of homelessness and improve those communities that have been forgotten by society,” Clinton emphasized in the voice call, “Cuomo is a fighter who can make the government work effectively. When our basic rights are threatened, I believe he will stand up and defend New Yorkers.”
Clinton, 78, has lived in Westchester County, New York, and has rarely participated in local elections in New York City. This endorsement also shows that compared with Zohran Mamdani, a progressive state representative who ranks second in the polls, the Democratic establishment is more inclined to support Cuomo.
Cuomo responded to Clinton through a statement, saying that “he is my mentor, friend and hero, and the government he leads is one of the most successful governments in modern times. This is what a government should look like.”
As the election entered the final stage, endorsements from all parties followed one after another; and the contest between Cuomo and Mamdani also reflected the generational and line struggle within the entire Democratic Party. In addition to the establishment represented by Cuomo, Mamdani, who is only 33 years old, has won the support of progressive heavyweights in the party, such as U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders.
