Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo launches political comeback with a run for New York City mayor

NEW YORK (AP) — Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Saturday that he is running for mayor of New York City, relaunching his political career following a yearslong exile over a barrage of sexual harassment accusations.

In a video announcing his campaign, Cuomo pitched his return as a way to pull the city from social and political turmoil, highlighting moderate positions on crime and his long history of political accomplishments.

“I am not saying this is going to be easy, it won’t be easy but I know we can turn the city around and I believe I can help and that is why I announce my candidacy today for Mayor of New York City today,” he said.

The Democrat is expected to mount a formidable campaign, despite entering the race deeply wounded by the scandal that forced his resignation from the governor’s office in 2021.

He takes on a large field of primary opponents with low name recognition plus an incumbent, Mayor Eric Adams, who — for now — remains under indictment on federal corruption charges, and under scrutiny from critics who question his independence from Republican President Donald Trump.

Cuomo enters the race with fundraising prowess, a record of accomplishments over his three terms as governor and potential support among many of the same moderate voters who helped propel Adams to the mayor’s office.

Yet it is unclear whether voters are willing to give Cuomo another chance following his remarkable downfall 3 1/2 years ago, when he went from being hailed for his leadership during the onslaught of COVID-19 to being castigated for his behavior with women and questioned about his response to the pandemic.

In his campaign video, Cuomo acknowledged past “mistakes” over his long career but cast himself as a seasoned leader who could thread political divides between the left and right, calling for a government that “can take a stand and get things done.”

“Did I always do everything right in my years of government service? Of course not. Would I do some things differently knowing what I know now — certainly. Did I make mistakes, some painfully? Definitely, and I believe I learned from them and that I am a better person for it and I hope to show that every day.”

Cuomo had been circling a return to politics for years while simultaneously fighting to rehabilitate his image and undermine the allegations against him.

At least 11 women credibly accused him of sexual harassment, which included allegations of unwanted kissing and touching, as well as remarking about their looks and sex lives, according to a report released by New York’s attorney general. One aide later filed a criminal complaint accusing Cuomo of grabbing her breast when they were alone in the governor’s mansion in Albany in late 2020.

Cuomo denied the sexual assault allegation, which a prosecutor ultimately dropped on the grounds that wasn’t enough proof to get a conviction at trial.

As for his behavior with some of the other women, Cuomo insisted he did not intentionally mistreat them and had simply fallen behind the times of what was considered appropriate workplace conduct.

Taxpayers have spent millions of dollars to defend him and his top aides in court against various lawsuits related to the allegations. He is moving to sue at least one of accusers for defamation.

The race already has several candidates vying to beat Adams in the June Democratic primary. Among them are city Comptroller Brad Lander, state Sen. Zellnor Myrie, state Sen. Jessica Ramos, state Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani and former city Comptroller Scott Stringer, who was a frontrunner in the mayor’s race four years ago until a woman accused him of groping and kissing her without her consent 20 years earlier.

Adams is also seeking reelection but is facing a tempest over the criminal case against him, and the U.S. Justice Department’s extraordinary effort to end the case over the objection of the prosecutors who brought the charges.

An indictment said Adams accepted luxury travel perks along with illegal campaign contributions from a Turkish official and other foreign nationals. After Trump took office, a top Justice Department official ordered federal prosecutors in Manhattan to dismiss the charges so Adams could focus on assisting the president’s immigration agenda, while leaving open the possibly that the case could reemerge after the mayoral election.

That dynamic led critics to claim that Adams had struck a deal to help with Trump’s immigration crackdown in exchange for legal salvation.

Adams has strongly denied such an arrangement was made, while facing intense pressure to step down and a potential removal from office by Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat. Some of the mayor’s top deputies announced plans to step down in protest.

Cuomo started in politics working for his father, former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo, and later rose to become U.S. housing secretary under President Bill Clinton and New York attorney general before being elected governor in 2010.

His national star power was highest during the coronavirus pandemic, when his televised daily briefings, full of clear-eyed rhetoric on the virus, attracted admirers nationwide who saw him as a steady hand of leadership at a chaotic time. The briefings won an international Emmy award and led to him getting a book deal for more than $5 million to write “American Crisis: Leadership Lessons From the Covid-19 Pandemic.”

Women, though, began coming forward in late 2020 and early 2021, accusing Cuomo of misconduct. He faced a potential impeachment before he stepped down. A state ethics panel tried unsuccessfully to get Cuomo to give up the proceeds of his book deal after it determined he used taxpayer resources to prepare, edit and publish the book.

Cuomo was further damaged by allegations that a directive from his administration had unintentionally contributed to a wave of COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes by initially barring them from refusing to readmit virus patients discharged from hospitals. The governor insisted the allegations was baseless, but his administration was subsequently found to have substantially undercounted the number of nursing home deaths as it sought to deflect the criticism.

Cuomo still has a significant campaign war chest that could technically be used in his bid for mayor. But the process of transferring his state donations to a city committee would be complicated and require each donor to sign off on the switch, a potentially burdensome effort.