BUFFALO (WBEN) - The calls for Governor Andrew Cuomo's resignation are becoming louder and more frequent, as prominent Democrats are now saying Cuomo needs to step down.
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However, Cuomo said last week he has no intention of resigning his position, and he reaffirmed that Sunday.
“They don’t override the people’s will, they don’t get to override elections,” Cuomo said during a conference call with reporters when asked about members of his own party calling for him to step down. “I was elected by the people of New York state. I wasn’t elected by politicians.”
Cuomo became something of a political celebrity during the early days of the pandemic, receiving a lot of credit and national attention for his handling of it. But in the past two months, much of that praise has since turned into outrage between the nursing home scandal and now four women accusing the governor of sexual harassment.
The fall from grace came in a rather short period of time, and many are wondering if Cuomo's political career is all but over even if he doesn't resign.
"I wouldn't count the governor out," said Jacob Neiheisel, associate professor of political science at the University at Buffalo. "He has come back from other scandals before - I'm reminded of the Buffalo Billion, which reached into his inner circle, and he was really able to escape from that...it didn't really seem to stick."
Of course, Neiheisel noted that these recent allegations against Cuomo are far different than what happened with the Buffalo Billion.
Could the 2022 New York gubernatorial race could be in play, assuming Cuomo decides to run again?
"I think the answer is 'no' no matter who (Democrats) are facing," said Neiheisel. "Certainly, it might be a bit easier if (Republicans) are facing a weakened Andrew Cuomo, but the last time a Republican held the governor's office was (George) Pataki...and that was just a very different New York State - it's gotten more blue over the years, not less.
"We're in an era of polarization where people define their own partisanship by how much they hate the other party, not how much they love their party," he continued. "I think that a number of folks will vote the party line regardless of what happens with these various scandals or perceived scandals."