Like many scandal-plagued Democrats before him, Andrew Cuomo just won't go away. The disgraced former New York governor has announced his candidacy for mayor of New York City, challenging another scandal-plagued Democrat, incumbent Eric Adams.
Of course, you all remember Cuomo. The guy who resigned in disgrace three years ago after eleven women accused him of sexual harassment? The same brilliant mind who sent COVID-positive patients back into nursing homes, killing thousands of elderly New Yorkers while he was busy writing a book about his "leadership" during the pandemic?
Yeah, that guy wants to run America's largest city now.
In an exhausting 17-minute video announcement that felt longer than a DMV line, Cuomo tried to rebrand himself as the solution to New York's problems. "The city just feels threatening, out of control," Cuomo declared with a straight face, apparently forgetting his own role in New York's decline.
Related: Former NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo Referred for Criminal Prosecution
"These conditions exist not as an act of God, but rather as an act of our political leaders, or, more precisely, the lack of intelligent action by many of our political leaders." he continued without a hint of self-awareness. This is from the man whose liberal policies and disastrous pandemic management helped accelerate New York's downward spiral.
Despite his considerable baggage, Cuomo poses a serious threat to Mayor Adams, who has his own growing collection of scandals. With his universal name recognition, wealthy donors, and decade of experience as governor, I suspect that Cuomo will likely become the front-runner in the June Democratic primary. Because apparently, New York Democrats can't find anyone without a scandal to their name. Heck, even the sitting governor, Kathy Hochul, has her problems now.
According to reports, Cuomo has been orchestrating his comeback for months with a shadow campaign, working the phones and glad-handing donors while Adams was busy dealing with FBI raids and corruption allegations. In typical Cuomo fashion, he lined up support and poached Adams' backers before even announcing his run.
Cuomo's attempted resurrection follows a disturbing pattern in Democratic politics: no scandal is too big to prevent a comeback. While he's trying to rebrand himself as a "tested manager" and "law-and-order moderate."
Perhaps most telling is Cuomo's claim to be a "forceful leader" ready to address crime. This is coming from the man who championed bail reform policies that put criminals back on the streets faster than a New York minute, by calling our justice system racist.
“Let's be painfully honest: The truth is that our Lady Justice is still not colorblind and her scales are still not balanced,” he said during his 2018 State of the State address. “Our bail system is biased against the poor, too many jails are cruel and inhumane, and our court system is too slow."
The bottom line is clear: New York deserves better than a recycled, scandal-plagued politician who refuses to fade into obscurity where he belongs. But in the one-party system that dominates NYC politics, Cuomo might just win—proving once again that for Democrats, accountability is just a campaign slogan, not a principle.