NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — Andrew Cuomo regrets his decision to resign as governor of New York in 2021 amid the slew of sexual harassment allegations leveled against him by colleagues, he told the New York Times in a sit-down interview, propounding that the state would be in better straits today had he remained in office.
“If I had to do it again, I wouldn’t have resigned,” Cuomo said in the interview published Tuesday.
“At the time, I thought that I would be a distraction to government functionality, that they would all be involved in impeachment proceedings, blah, blah, blah,” he said. “Looking back, what has really been done in the past four years anyway, right?”
Cuomo, 67, denounced the findings of a 2021 report from the state attorney general that found he sexually harassed at least 11 women, stating in his resignation remarks that “The most serious allegations made against me had no credible factual basis in the report … and there is a difference between alleged improper conduct and concluding sexual harassment.”
The former governor did, however, apologize to the 11 women he “truly offended.”
Cuomo—the clear frontrunner in a Democratic primary crowded with candidates for New York City mayor—launched his comeback campaign in March. He has been leading the polls since the announcement, despite criticism from opponents regarding his ongoing sexual harassment litigation and its alleged cost to taxpayers, his handling of nursing home regulations during the COVID-19 pandemic and other baggage from his 10-plus years as leader of the state.
In his statements to the New York Times, Cuomo said that in hindsight, he now believes he could have fought to clear his name while in office and gone through the impeachment process through the State Legislature.
Cuomo said that he was happy with his life away from politics, but made the decision to join the race amid rising concerns over the state of NYC and its ability to bounce back to its pre-pandemic height under its current leadership.
“I was done. I was in the private sector, just enjoying life,” he told the New York Times. “But then I was looking at what was happening in New York City. You saw Mayor Adams getting into trouble. You saw Trump coming. So, I’m worried about New York City.”
Cuomo’s campaign strategy has included mindful appearances that forefront his public safety and quality-of-life platforms. Combined with backing from high-value donors, the former governor has positioned himself with a double-digit lead over second-place candidate Zohran Mamdani, a Queens assemblymember and self-identified democratic socialist.
But with only 21 days until Election Day, the career politician will join Mamdani and seven other candidates—including NYC Comptroller Brad Lander and NYC Council Speaker Adrienne Adams—at the first primary debate on Wednesday.