Just lately, a staff of New York News and Schneps Media editors and reporters sat down with every of the three mayoral candidates for interviews about their campaigns and visions for the Massive Apple. That is the second in a collection of tales about these interviews.
Andrew Cuomo has essentially the most in depth résumé of the three candidates searching for to be New York Metropolis’s subsequent mayor — and whereas some argue towards that have, the previous governor believes it’s what makes him stand out among the many subject.
Together with serving as an adviser to his father, former Gov. Mario Cuomo, for a few years, Andrew Cuomo held the place of Secretary of the US Division of Housing and City Improvement (HUD) through the Clinton Administration. He additionally served as New York’s lawyer common for 4 years earlier than being elected governor himself in 2010.
However his political profession was not with out incident. In 2021, the three-term governor was pressured to resign as governor amid a sexual harassment scandal. A number of ladies accused him of sexual harassment, allegations he strongly denies. Many New Yorkers have additionally been crucial of the previous governor’s dealing with of COVID-19 in New York, saying his actions led to the virus ripping via nursing properties throughout the state.
Nevertheless, in an interview with Schneps Media, Cuomo acknowledged that his in depth expertise equips him with perception into the complexities of governance and the particular wants of New Yorkers. This background, he defined, uniquely positions him to handle town’s operations in a manner that his opponents, Zohran Mamdani and Curtis Sliwa, cannot.
“Because experience matters,” he mentioned. “I know how the state legislature passes laws. I know what it takes to get something done in the city council. I know what to ask for in a state budget that is reasonable and that the state can actually do. Because I understand the budget from the state’s point of view, frankly, better than the state understands the budget from the state’s point of view.”
Regardless of his resume and background, Cuomo misplaced the Democratic major in June to Mamdani, a candidate with significantly much less expertise in metropolis and state authorities. The loss, nevertheless, compelled Cuomo to maintain going within the race, however to run as an unbiased — hoping to draw extra average and conservative voters within the common election.
Andrew Cuomo, candidate for NYC mayor in 2025, mentioned matters together with reasonably priced housing and public security.Picture by Jonathan Portee
Reasonably priced Housing: ‘Build, baby, build’
Cuomo’s plan for reasonably priced housing facilities on rising provide in a metropolis that has an abysmally low emptiness price of 1%. When so few residential items can be found, it exhibits provide will not be maintaining with demand. He mentioned town must construct 50,000 items a 12 months.
Though that may be a large quantity, Cuomo mentioned it isn’t arduous to construct. Nevertheless, he argued, forms has historically hindered building. For instance, he mentioned, it may take 4 years to get a constructing allow. He additionally mentioned whoever is mayor ought to stand as much as NIMBYism – when communities are not looking for a specific undertaking of their neighborhoods.
Alluding to the facility that the NYC Council has, a council member can cease a undertaking at any time of their district, he mentioned.
“And whenever there is NIMBY, politicians stop. Why? Because they don’t want to offend anyone,” he mentioned. “ There’s going to be some woman, some man, some group, say, you know, 4201 Avenue K Group and the politicians don’t want to offend that vested interest, so they back off.”
He touted the development tasks that had been constructed beneath his gubernatorial administration, together with the $8 billion redesign of LaGuardia Airport in Queens in addition to the primary part of the Second Avenue Subway, which added three stops in Manhattan to the Q line.
Cuomo additionally proposed using underused city-owned land for the development of latest reasonably priced items, in addition to the conversion of business buildings to residential use.
Tackling crime in NYC
Crime is on the forefront of many New Yorkers’ minds. Cuomo’s crime-fighting technique comes right down to, notably, one factor: empowering the NYPD. This consists of hiring 5,000 new cops to the NYPD to carry it to nearer to the scale it was 25 years in the past.
Nevertheless, the police officer job is now not as fascinating because it as soon as was, as evidenced by excessive attrition charges and a pressure that’s overworked, underpaid, and sometimes compelled to switch to different legislation enforcement departments.
Cuomo at a press convention in Sept. 2025.Picture by Jonathan Portee
Cuomo’s plan to repair officer morale consists of paying them extra, recognizing that they’ve, for too lengthy, been the topic of poor public opinion.
“You have to raise the salary,” he mentioned. “And you have to say, ‘I’m sorry.’ I get it. The defund the police demoralized you. You felt you were made to feel like you were the bad guy. You’re not. We respect you. We respect your service, and we’re going to pay you a competitive wage with Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, which will be about an additional $15,000 a year starting salary.”
His imaginative and prescient additionally consists of cracking down on quality-of-life crimes, tackling shoplifting, figuring out repeat offenders, and rising enforcement.
He additionally desires elevated accountability for e-bike and moped violations with extra enforcement and holding companies liable for infractions.
In the meantime, crime is down in most main classes, however there are exceptions, together with rape and different intercourse crimes, in line with NYPD knowledge at press time. Cuomo mentioned total crime is up, and New Yorkers don’t really feel protected.
“Go out there on the street. Interview 100 people and say, ‘Do you believe crime is down?’ Because it’s not. And they don’t feel it. They don’t feel safe,” he mentioned.
Cuomo’s key priorities for public transit
Cuomo’s prime priorities for the subway system zero in on enhancing security, cleanliness, reliability and finishing building tasks. Much like his above-ground policing technique, Cuomo’s subway security plan consists of deploying extra officers on trains, reflecting again to the times of former mayors David Dinkins, a Democrat, and Rudy Giuliani, a Republican – an period that many youthful New Yorkers won’t recall at prime of thoughts.
“Just go back to the Dinkins, Giuliani days. There was a cop on the train,” he mentioned. “One cop who walked the train wound up sitting in a car. You got on the train late at night. You walked to the train. You found the car where the cop was. And you sat in that car with that cop. You were on the platform. You looked for the cop. You went and stood next to the cop. Safety first.”
Cuomo mentioned his imaginative and prescient for a cleaner subway system would “have to be worked out with the MTA” as a result of town leases the NYC Transit Authority to the state-run company. As a lessor, town may help enhance reliability of trains, particularly relating to the set up of latest indicators.
“They still haven’t installed the signal system, which was supposed to be done like 12 years ago,” Cuomo mentioned. “So my point would be, when we do the lease, let us help. It’s just NYC Transit. You have to worry about Metro-North, everything else. Let us help with New York City Transit, and let us help with the installation of the signal system.”
Regardless that Cuomo touted his success as governor in getting the Second Avenue Subway began, his opponent, Mamdani, mentioned in a separate interview with New York News that it was not with out issues.
“So the Second Avenue Subway is one where in the first phase, we spent more money on consultants than construction,” Mamdani mentioned. “And part of that is because the MTA has lost a lot of the ability to be able to deliver on that, in no small part because of this kind of an approach.”
Sliwa, in one other interview with New York News, even questioned the necessity for the Second Avenue Subway — in any respect.
“Clearly we did not need three stations on the Q train,” he mentioned. “Why are we spending all this money? The stations that nobody wants. I don’t see the demand based on the density of the area that they’re talking about that needs service. How about taking that money and investing it in fixing and repairing the existing system that’s falling apart?”
Takeaways on Andrew Cuomo
As mayor of NYC, Cuomo must cope with President Donald Trump on points. In the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2 politicians sparred over points starting from funding to immigration. Nevertheless, that have led Cuomo to grasp Trump higher.
“So he is smart about the fights he picks,” Cuomo mentioned. “He sent the National Guard into 20 cities. When I was governor, never New York City, never New York City. He didn’t want that fight. It’s not worth it.”
Regardless of his title recognition and in depth authorities expertise, Cuomo’s victory within the NYC mayoral race after dropping the Democratic major stays to be seen. Operating as an unbiased, he should persuade NYC voters that his expertise is efficacious, his plans will work and he’s a viable selection for mayor of the Massive Apple.
Learn Extra on the Mayor’s Race:
Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa on crime, cats and a marketing campaign he’ll by no means give up
