Bronx News: Adams, Cuomo Team Up to Beat Mamdani in Order to 'Save NY'

Once a ‘Snake and a Liar’ to Adams, Cuomo Now Has His Support

 

Outgoing mayor backs Cuomo, mocks Mamdani as “king of the gentrifiers.”

This article originally appeared in The City.

By Katie Honan and Samantha Maldonado

Bronx Voice 

October 25, 2025

BRONX NEWS - Mayor Eric Adams on Thursday endorsed Andrew Cuomo as the city’s next mayor — after just last month trashing his one-time foe as “a snake and a liar.”

Outside the Carver Houses public housing complex in Harlem, Adams described the former governor as a “brother.” 

“Brothers fight,” Adams told reporters. “When families are attacked, brothers come together.”

The new alliance took shape after Adams went after Cuomo early last month while defiantly insisting he would not drop out of his reelection campaign. Weeks later, Adams quit the mayor’s race — and  on Wednesday night sat courtside with Cuomo at the Knicks home-opener.

“Andrew Cuomo is a snake and a liar,” Adams said from the backyard of Gracie Mansion on Sept. 5.

“I am in this race and I’m the only one who can defeat [Zohran] Mamdani,” Adams said at the time. “Andrew has had a career of pushing Black candidates out of races.”

He said both Cuomo and Mamdani, the Queens assemblymember who is the Democratic nominee, had “silver spoons” in their mouths, but reserved most of his ire for Cuomo. 

Adams dropped out of the race weeks later, and his former top aide, Frank Carone, reportedly was pushing for his former boss to endorse Cuomo. 

“Am I angry I’m not the one taking down Zohran the socialist and the communist?” Adams said Thursday. “Damn right I am.”

The mayor said he would campaign with Cuomo.

“I’m going to give it my all these next few days to make sure that Black and brown communities specifically, who have believed there’s nothing at stake in this election for them — it is,” Adams said. “When you empty out 3,000 people in Rikers Island who preyed on these communities, that's at stake. When you state that you don't believe small property owners have the right to charge a moderate rent. That's at stake. When you lie and state that you can freeze rent.”

Mamdani cannot freeze the rent alone, but has the power to appoint members of the board who can — which he has vowed to do.

Cuomo is running on an independent line after losing in the June primary to Mamdani.

The mayor’s support could help Cuomo, who, according to one survey, saw a 10-point increase in the polls after Adams dropped out, but who still trails Mamdani by double digits. That poll also didn’t take into account that the mayor’s name will still appear on the ballot and that New Yorkers can still vote for him.

On Thursday, Cuomo thanked Adams for backing him, saying he put his ambitions aside for the future of the city.

“I thank him more for supporting the Democratic Party and for his love of New York City,” said Cuomo, who has accused Mamdani of not being a Democrat.

Cuomo has tried in recent weeks to chip away at Mamdani’s lead, pressuring Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa to drop out. Sliwa has adamantly refused to quit; his name would appear on the ballot either way, and it’s not certain how many of his supporters would jump to Cuomo. 

Still, Cuomo is adamant he can win the general election.

“If New Yorkers vote, I win,” Cuomo said. 

In a statement, Sliwa slammed the endorsement and Mamdani, too.

“Cuomo standing with Eric Adams is the architect joining the crooked landlord of a failing city, the same duo that sold out New Yorkers while the apprentice Mamdani cheers from the sidelines,” he said. “This is corruption past, corruption present, and corruption waiting to happen again.”

Mamdani said in a statement that “Cuomo is running for Eric Adams’ second term.”

“It’s no surprise to see two men who share an affinity for corruption and Trump capitulation align themselves at the behest of the billionaire class and the president himself,” he said. “We are going to turn the page on the politics of big money and small ideas that these two disgraced executives embody and build a city every New Yorker can afford.”

During the event in Harlem, a person interrupted Adams and Cuomo to yell support for Mamdani.

“This is the nasty attitude of many of Zohran’s supporters,” Adams said. “That’s the same energy of a gentrifier. … What she needs to do is shut up and let us finish our press conference.”

Earlier, Adams said Mamdani’s base of support is made up of gentrifiers.

“Gentrifiers have raised the rent in the city and disrespected communities for far too long, and he's the king of the gentrifiers,” Adams said. 

Following Wednesday night’s final mayoral debate, co-hosted by THE CITY, Cuomo sat front row with Adams at Madison Square Garden.

The mayor’s personal X account posted a photo of the two with the message: “Great win for the Knicks. We need to win for the city. Can’t go backwards.”