Adams accuses Cuomo of ‘wasting time’ by staying in mayoral race

New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who is running as an independent to retain his seat, accused Andrew Cuomo, the former state governor, of “wasting time and dividing voters” by staying in the race, the New York Post reported.

Speaking at the Bolivian Day Parade in Queens on Sunday, Adams reportedly said that he didn’t lose the Democratic primary, as Cuomo did to Zohran Mamdani, an anti-Israel state representative and a socialist.

When asked if he would drop out to make way for Cuomo, Adams said, “Are you kidding me?” according to the Post.

New polling data from Data for Progress suggests that Mamdani would draw 40% of the vote if the election were held tomorrow, with Cuomo receiving 24%, Adams 15% and Curtis Sliwa, the Republican, receiving 14%.

“If Cuomo and Adams joined forces, they could beat Mamdani. If Cuomo, Adams and Sliwa joined forces, they would beat Mamdani,” stated Jesse Arm, of the Manhattan Institute. “These politicians refuse to consolidate New York City’s anti-socialist majority. History will not forget them.”

Cuomo’s campaign released a video on Monday stating that he is “in it to win it.”

“While our campaign garnered more than 440,000 votes, that obviously wasn’t enough. I made mistakes in the primary,” the campaign stated. “All my life I’ve been known for pushing too hard, but this time I played it safe, believing in the polls that said our campaign was way ahead, and not giving New Yorkers the campaign they deserved.”

“I was not aggressive enough in communicating my vision for a fairer, safer, more affordable New York, or in debunking and exposing Zohran Mamdani’s unrealistic proposals and divisive agenda,” it added. “I promise you, I will not make that mistake again.”

On July 7, a Cuomo spokesman stated that “we are at a critical moment in this country and this city” and that “compounding the affordability and leadership crisis facing New York,” U.S. President Donald Trump’s “recently signed budget poses grave threats to our education system and defunds critical elements of the healthcare system so many New Yorkers rely upon.”

“Taken together, New York City is facing budgetary and structural deficits not seen in decades,” the Cuomo spokesman said.

The spokesman added that Cuomo is reviewing an “unorthodox” proposal from Jim Walden, a former prosecutor and current mayoral candidate, to avoid a many-way race that would “split the vote and hand New York City over to socialism and extremism.”

“He correctly points out that if he, Mayor Adams, and Gov. Cuomo all run, it all but ensures a socialist victory,” the Cuomo spokesman stated. “Jim proposed a fair independent survey be taken in September to determine whose candidacy and vision for New York is strongest in a one-on-one race in November.” (JNS sought comment from the mayor’s office.)

On Monday Cuomo stated that he accepted the proposal.

“Mayor Adams did not run in the Democratic primary because he knew he was anathema to Democrats and unelectable. Nothing has changed. We do not see any path to victory for Mayor Adams,” the Cuomo spokesman said. “This is the time to put aside the usual political selfishness and agree to do what is truly best for all New Yorkers.”

“While we review this proposal, we call on other candidates to do the same,” the spokesman said.