Billionaire Michael Bloomberg confirmed his support for former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (D) in the New York City mayoral race, highlighting how “Cuomo has the experience and tenacity to stand up for the people of the city”.
In a post on X, Bloomberg, who previously served As Mayor of New York City between 2002–2013, he reported that serving as Mayor of NYC is “the second hardest job in America.”
“Four months ago I endorsed @AndrewCuomo because I thought his management experience and government knowledge made him the best choice for New Yorkers,” Bloomberg wrote. “I still do. And today, with early voting, I wanted to reiterate my support for Andrew Cuomo.”
Bloomberg added: “Being mayor of New York City is the second hardest job in America, and the next mayor will face enormous challenges. Andrew Cuomo has the experience and tenacity to stand up for New Yorkers and get things done. I hope you’ll join me in supporting him.”
Bloomberg’s comments came after he gave $1.5 million to a super PAC called “Fix the City,” which is “run by a longtime Cuomo ally.” new York Times Informed.
The money given to the super PAC also represents “Bloomberg’s first foray into the mayoral race since the Democratic primary,” and also comes as “business elites” in the city threatened to spend nearly $100 million as part of an effort to “oust” socialist NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani from the race, according to the outlet.
Although Bloomberg reportedly “feud with Mr. Cuomo when he was governor,” according to the outlet, “there are serious differences” between him and Mamdani.
Bloomberg’s endorsement of Cuomo in the upcoming mayoral race comes as Mamdani has advocated for city-operated grocery stores and suggested sending “mental health experts” to respond to some crimes instead of police officers.
Breitbart News also reported that Mamdani has received criticism for comments he made on a podcast in July 2020 in which he spoke against sending police officers to respond to domestic violence calls. Mamdani claimed on the podcast that “police do not create security”:
Police don’t create security… We’ve given the police so many responsibilities that, frankly, should have nothing to do with their departments… If someone is on foot, if someone is alive, going through domestic violence – there are a lot of different, varying situations that can be handled better by people trained to deal with those specific situations, rather than by someone with a gun.
The Quinnipiac University poll, conducted between October 23–27, which surveyed 911 likely voters in NYC, found that Mamdani was leading with 43 percent support, while Cuomo received 33 percent support. NYC Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa received 14 percent support.
