Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo says Mayor Eric Adams is a dead man walking in the New York City mayoral race, as Mr. Cuomo looks to build the case that he is the stronger alternative to the frontrunner in the race, Zohran Mamdani.

Mr. Cuomo says voters started souring on the Adams administration before he was indicted last year on federal bribery and corruption charges, and that the Trump administration’s decision not to pursue the charges has further tainted his image with Democrats.

“He is unelectable,” Mr. Cuomo said Thursday on CNBC. “Democrats, especially after his transaction with President Trump, are very negative on him.” 

Given that Democrats comprise 70% of general election voters, Mr. Cuomo said Mr. Adams’s reelection bid is doomed. 

Mr. Cuomo characterized the Trump-led Justice Department’s decision to let Mr. Adams off the hook as a “conditional pardon.” 

The Trump administration said the move was made in part because the prosecution was hindering the mayor’s cooperation with the president’s immigration enforcement efforts. It said the charges were an example of the weaponization of the Justice Department under President Biden.

The decision opened up Mr. Adams, who denies any wrongdoing, to allegations that he was involved in a quid pro quo arrangement with the Trump administration.

Mr. Mamdani’s commanding win in the Democratic primary last month over Mr. Cuomo has left the anti-Mamdani forces holding out hope that he can be stopped in a general election with a more diverse electorate.

Mr. Cuomo and Mr. Adams, both Democrats running as independents, come with political baggage.

Polls show the race against Mr. Mamdani tightens if one of them drops out.

Mr. Cuomo has said voters should unite behind whomever emerges in mid-September polls as the strongest alternative to Mr. Mamdani. Mr. Adams had rejected the plan. So has Republican Curtis Sliwa, who is also running along with independent Jim Walden.

“I have said that if I am not the stronger candidate between myself and Adams, I will defer because I think it is that important to beat Mamdani, and the inverse should also be true,” Mr. Cuomo said. “Otherwise, to stay in, you are just a spoiler. You are just saying, I can’t win, but I am going to make sure Mamdani wins.”

• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.