Andrew Cuomo outlined his plans for the Big Apple Sunday in his first speech since announcing his candidacy for New York City Mayor.
Cuomo kicked off his first major push for mayor with the endorsement from both District Council 9 Painters and the District Council of Carpenters. Holding a rally at the carpenter’s headquarters at 395 Hudson St. on March 2, the former governor told the rabid crowd that the city is in rough shape — repeating many of the points he made in his 17-minute video announcement made Saturday when he officially threw his hat into the ring.
“New York City is in trouble; you can feel it. You don’t need to read statistics. You feel it when you walk down the street; you see the mentally ill homeless people. You feel it when you walk down into the subway, and you feel the anxiety rise up in your chest. You hear it when you hear the scream of the police sirens. You feel it in the chaos of the e-bikes and the scooters coming from every direction,” Cuomo said. “We will do everything we can to fight to save this city. We are not going to let it fall down.”
Cuomo also attacked his progressive/socialist competitors, though not by name, vying to become the city’s next mayor. He denounced them for having previously called for defunding the NYPD, something he said he is proudly against.
“They cut $1 billion from the police budget. What did you think was going to happen?” he said. “It created a city in chaos, people got hurt — it was a deadly mistake. It wasn’t progressive politics; it was regressive.”
Standing behind a podium and in front of a large red and blue banner reading “Cuomo for Mayor,” the former governor emphasized how he believes he could change the city, including a robust police force and treating the unhoused with respect.
“We need more police in our subways, more police,” Cuomo roared. “When you walk past the homeless person on the street, you know the right thing is to do something. You know that the caring, compassionate thing is to do something, and that’s what we should be doing for the mentally ill who are on the streets. Get them the help they need. Don’t leave them on the street. We know better than this.”
Cuomo has been leading several polls in the mayoral race and even scored some endorsements when, at the time, he had yet to announce his candidacy. The former governor is looking to mount one of the biggest political comebacks in history four years after resigning as governor due to sexual misconduct allegations, which he had repeatedly denied.
In an effort to showcase female support, his daughters Mariah Kennedy-Cuomo, Michaela Kennedy-Cuomo, and Cara Kennedy-Cuomo also took to the stage to offer their backing.
“As a 27-year-old New Yorker, already confronted with global economic, health and environmental crises. I know the importance of safety and security, and I know we need a mayor who will stabilize New York City and progress toward prosperity,” Michaela said.
