Rev. Al Sharpton is publicly urging Andrew Cuomo to withdraw from the New York City mayoral race, saying that stepping aside would serve the city’s needs more effectively.
“I think, in the best interest of the legacy of Andrew Cuomo, that he ought to let them have the one-on-one race,” Sharpton said Wednesday on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”
“He can endorse one or the other, and let them have a battle over what is best for New York.”
Sharpton noted that he had already contacted Cuomo’s team in an attempt to convince him to step down from the race.
A spokesperson for Cuomo responded that they’re weighing their next steps carefully, keeping New Yorkers’ best interests in mind.
“Everyone is entitled to their own political opinion — we understand President Trump supports Eric Adams, and do not believe socialism is the answer,” said campaign rep Rich Azzopardi. “Most New Yorkers are not Trumpers, and most New Yorkers are not socialists — the majority lies in the middle.”
Sharpton’s remarks came just 24 hours after the full results of the Democratic primary were released, showing that socialist candidate Zohran Mamdani beat Cuomo by a double-digit margin—12 percentage points—after only three rounds in the ranked-choice process.
Just days before that, Sharpton had welcomed Mamdani to his National Action Network headquarters, providing the candidate with a platform to appeal directly to Black voters. During the visit, Sharpton appeared to support some of Mamdani’s policy ideas, including a proposal to freeze rent.
While Sharpton stopped short of giving Mamdani an official endorsement, his public statements appeared to give the candidate a significant boost.
Although Cuomo has wavered on whether he would stay in the race, his name will still appear on the ballot this November as an independent candidate. He’ll be listed alongside Mamdani, Republican contender Curtis Sliwa, and two other independents, Eric Adams and Jim Walden.
{Matzav.com}