Foes to friends: Eric Adams backs Andrew Cuomo to take on Zohran Mamdani in NYC race

In a stunning political turn, New York City Mayor Eric Adams has endorsed former Governor Andrew Cuomo in the city’s heated mayoral race, forming an unlikely alliance aimed at halting the rise of Democratic Socialist candidate Zohran Mamdani . The endorsement, announced just weeks before Election Day, comes after Adams ended his re-election campaign following a primary loss to Mamdani. Once fierce adversaries, Adams previously called Cuomo “a snake and a liar,” but the two now present a united front, pledging to rally traditional Democratic voters and moderate New Yorkers who feel alienated by Mamdani’s progressive surge.


From rivalry to reconciliation
The public thaw between Adams and Cuomo was confirmed when the pair appeared together courtside at the New York Knicks’ season opener. Their reunion surprised many political observers, given their history of sharp personal and ideological clashes. But with Mamdani leading in polls and early voting underway, both men appear to have found common ground in their mutual goal: preventing a left-wing takeover of City Hall.

According to campaign insiders, Adams and Cuomo have agreed to coordinate outreach in key boroughs, especially in Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx, targeting Black, Latino, and working-class voters who have felt the brunt of rising rents and gentrification.

Cuomo’s independent comeback
After losing the Democratic primary to Mamdani, Andrew Cuomo entered the general election as an independent candidate, positioning himself as a seasoned, pragmatic alternative to both Mamdani and Republican contender Curtis Sliwa. His campaign has focused on law and order, economic stability, and criticism of what he calls “performative progressivism.”

Despite past controversies surrounding his resignation as governor in 2021, Cuomo has steadily climbed in polls, now sitting in second place behind Mamdani. Analysts say Adams’ endorsement could help him close that gap by lending credibility among minority voters and centrist Democrats still loyal to the current mayor’s base.


A calculated alliance against Mamdani
For Adams, the decision to back Cuomo is both strategic and symbolic. Mamdani’s populist message, built around rent freezes, free public transport, and city-run grocery stores, has resonated strongly with younger, immigrant, and working-class voters, cutting deep into the coalition that once powered Adams’ victory. By joining forces with Cuomo, Adams hopes to consolidate moderate voters who view Mamdani’s platform as too radical for New York’s fiscal and political reality.

Political strategists note that this alliance also represents a shift in New York’s Democratic establishment. Once fractured by ideological battles, traditional party figures appear to be uniting under Cuomo to preserve institutional control amid the progressive wave.


Mamdani’s response and the road ahead
Zohran Mamdani ’s campaign has dismissed the Cuomo–Adams partnership as “political desperation,” arguing that it underscores the fear of change among career politicians. “This is a coalition of the status quo,” a campaign spokesperson said. “New Yorkers deserve leadership that represents working people, not backroom deals between former rivals.”

Mamdani continues to dominate among foreign-born voters, renters, and younger demographics, while Cuomo’s support skews toward older and American-born New Yorkers. With less than two weeks until Election Day, early voting data suggests a competitive finish as both camps intensify door-to-door campaigning.