Buffalo, NY (WBEN) - Former Governor Andrew Cuomo is not throwing in the towel after losing by 12 points in the primary last month. But how much of a chance does Cuomo have of winning in November?
Jack O'Donnell of O'Donnell and Associates says while primaries are only a portion of the electorate, there is a chance, albeit slim, of a Cuomo victory. "We're already seeing big parts of the Andrew Cuomo coalition, whether those are some big businessmen who have moved to Eric Adams, or a lot of the labor unions in New York City supporting (Zohran) Mamdani and some of the Democratic establishment," says O'Donnell.
If Cuomo can't win, can he be a spoiler? "That's what we're hearing from current Mayor Eric Adams, who wants Cuomo to get out of the way so he can really focus one on one, or close to one on one, against Mamdani. I do think Cuomo could play a big role in being a spoiler. Eric Adams as the sitting mayor, as an African American, someone who's garnered a lot of votes, especially in the outer boroughs and has really strong support there, Andrew Cuomo is going to cut into that, and that's why you've heard them both saying the other one should get out of the race," notes O'Donnell.
What must Cuomo do to win? O'Donnell says Cuomo's got to find a way to really motivate folks to come out to vote for him. "He's got to find a way to get get his message through in the biggest and busiest media market in the world," says O'Donnell. "He, in the primary, ran a real Rose Garden campaign where he kind of rolled out endorsements and then rolled away without answering questions, I think in New York City, just like in Buffalo, people want to see you. They want to talk to you, they want to meet you. They want to see that. You really want the job. They want to be able to ask you questions, which might have to do with with City Hall and may not," explains O'Donnell.
How does Cuomo's campaign compare to Byron Brown's write-in campaign in 2021 that turned out victorious? O'Donnell says there are a number of differences. "The first is, a lot of people know who Mamdani was when they voted for him. I think it was a real surprise to a lot of folks when India Walton won the primary, people found out she was a Democratic Socialist. I think it really motivated people. It was also a unique time. It was the first June primary election we had had in in Buffalo in a generation and coming out of COVID," says O'Donnell.
Cuomo resigned as governor in 2021.
