New York Metropolis mayoral race front-runner Andrew Cuomo was compelled to fend off a volley of assaults from his Democratic main rivals in a debate Wednesday, together with his opponents unleashing pent up barbs on the former governor in an try to crack his lead.
Cuomo was on the defensive from the opening bell.
From a crowded stage, Cuomo’s opponents swiped at him over the sexual harassment scandal that compelled him from the governor’s mansion, his coronavirus response and the federal investigation into whether or not he lied to Congress about his dealing with of the pandemic in nursing properties.
At one level, Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist state lawmaker who has emerged as one of many main candidates within the race, pressed Cuomo on the overlap between the previous governor’s political donors and those that donated to Republican President Donald Trump.
“The difference between myself and Andrew Cuomo is that my campaign is not funded by the very billionaires who put Donald Trump in D.C.,” Mamdani stated, calling himself “Donald Trump’s worst nightmare.”
Weathering the onslaught, Cuomo began flicking out his personal jabs.
“Mr. Mamdani is very good on Twitter, with videos, but he actually produces nothing,” Cuomo stated. “Donald Trump would go through Mr. Mamdani like a hot knife through butter. He’s been in government 27 minutes, he’s passed three bills. That’s all he’s done.”
The pile-on got here after Cuomo, who has led each ballot since coming into the race, has prevented his opponents in public, giving them just about no alternatives to satisfy him face-to-face.
That every one modified Wednesday evening.
The previous governor’s opponents had him of their sights all through the talk, working in criticisms of Cuomo of their responses to questions or interjecting at factors to get in one other fast dig on the former governor of New York. The cross speak was heavy on a stage that hosted 9 candidates.
In a single trade, Cuomo deflected on a query about whether or not he had any regrets from his time in politics, saying that if he regretted something, it was “that the Democratic Party got to a point that we allowed Mr. Trump to be elected, that we got to a point where rhetoric has no connection to reality.”
The opposite candidates pounced.
Adrienne Adams, the speaker of the New York Metropolis Council, spoke up, asking Cuomo if he had regrets about his document on well being care, little one care and extra.
“Really, no regrets,” she stated as she shook her head at Cuomo.
As Cuomo moved to reply, Jessica Ramos, a state senator, tried to get a degree in, however was drowned out by a moderator who directed the previous governor to reply Adams’ critique.
“It is just not accurate,” Cuomo stated.
Incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat who pulled out of the first to as an alternative run for a second time period on an unbiased poll line, didn’t take part within the debate.
Cuomo had been thought of one of many Democratic Occasion’s rising stars earlier than his dramatic downfall in 2021 following a sexual harassment scandal.
The previous governor has stated he didn’t deliberately mistreat the ladies and had fallen out of step with what was thought of acceptable office conduct, although his legal professionals and consultants have labored to discredit his accusers. Cuomo repeated an analogous chorus on Wednesday throughout the debate.
In his comeback run for mayor, Cuomo has confronted renewed scrutiny about his selections throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and is underneath investigation by the Justice Division over whether or not he lied to Congress about how he dealt with the virus because it unfold by means of nursing properties.
Throughout the debate, moderators tried to pin Cuomo down on the truthfulness of his congressional testimony a couple of state report on nursing house deaths throughout the pandemic, however he sidestepped the query.
“I was very aware of the report,” he stated, drawing fun from one of many different candidates.
Izaguirre reported from Albany, New York.
