NEW YORK (1010 WINS) – As reports suggest former Gov. Andrew Cuomo could announce a run for New York City mayor within days, Gov. Kathy Hochul said “God only knows” if her former boss would be good at the job, while former Mayor Bill de Blasio called the potential candidacy "unusual."
Hochul—who was Cuomo’s lieutenant governor before he resigned in 2021, and she assumed the governorship—appeared Thursday on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” where she was asked if Cuomo would make a good mayor.
“God only knows,” she said. “Who knows? We'll see, we'll see. And I don't know if that's going to be the case either. So a lot of unknowns. But my view is my job is to work with whoever the voters want.”
“My job is to work closely—unlike the past when it seemed like there always had to be this inherent battle between Albany and New York City,” Hochul said. “I reject that and the people are better served when they have a governor who's willing to try to help the city, which I've been doing.
The comment could be taken as a not-so-subtle jab at Cuomo, who was famous for feuding with de Blasio.
“Breaking news,” de Blasio said Wednesday when NBC News’ Tom Llamas mentioned his infamous beef with Cuomo.
Asked about the mayor's race, de Blasio pointed to Cuomo's controversies involving sexual harassment accusations and COVID-19 nursing home deaths, saying, "These are really powerful and usual in the sense of a single individual, a single candidate having all these negatives on them."
De Blasio said he thinks the race for mayor has "just begun" and that Cuomo’s past controversies could influence New York City voters, as could his "character" on the campaign trail and "that juxtaposition with Donald Trump, who is obviously the number one story in America right now."
“How are they going to feel about someone who has a lot of scandals attached after what’s happened with Mayor Adams? I think these are big, open questions,” de Blasio said.
“I am not for a minute going to take away political skill from Andrew Cuomo,” de Blasio added. “He has a lot of skill, he has a lot of experience. But I think what you’re going to see is one candidate, or maybe a couple candidates who really emerge as an alternative, and then it’s really when the ballgame starts.”
De Blasio said it’ll be “very tough” for Adams as he seeks reelection. He said Adams’ association with the Trump administration has “set him back,” particularly his appearance with border czar Tom Homan on “Fox & Friends” this month.
“Mayor Adams—aside from the scandals, the legal issues—clearly would have a case to make” for reelection on his post-pandemic accomplishments, de Blasio added. “It’s quite amazing how far the city has come since then.”