United States Consultant Tom Suozzi
Photograph by Lloyd Mitchell
Democratic U.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi has formally endorsed former Gov. Andrew Cuomo within the New York Metropolis mayoral race after beforehand indicating he wouldn’t assist the celebration’s nominee, Meeting Member Zohran Mamdani.
Suozzi, a centrist Democrat representing northeastern Queens and components of Nassau County’s North Shore, mentioned he shared Mamdani’s issues about affordability however “fundamentally disagreed” with the candidate’s proposed options, at the same time as prime Democrats, together with Gov. Kathy Hochul and Home Minority Chief Hakeem Jeffries, backed Mamdani’s marketing campaign.
With early voting underway and simply 5 days till Election Day, Suozzi formally threw his assist behind Cuomo on Wednesday as the most recent polls present the previous governor closing the hole on Mamdani’s sizeable lead.
“I’m a Democratic capitalist, not a Democratic socialist. I endorse Andrew Cuomo,” Suozzi wrote on X, previously Twitter, on Oct. 29. The congressman took photographs at Mamdani for his agenda and having a “thin resume.”
“I cannot back a declared socialist with a thin resume to run the most complex city in America,” Suozzi mentioned. “We need leaders who will fight crime, not undermine the police; who will create jobs, not harm the economy; who will keep taxes down, not make it more expensive for middle-class families to live here.”
In 2024, Suozzi gained again his Congressional seat in a particular election to switch disgraced Rep. George Santos within the third Congressional District, flipping the district from crimson to blue. Suozzi had initially not run for re-election to Congress in 2022, as an alternative pursuing a failed run for governor towards Hochul.
The congressman is about to hunt reelection subsequent 12 months in a really purple district, the place crimson Republican and blue Democratic voters reside, and supporting a Democratic socialist could possibly be a political legal responsibility within the 2026 midterms.
Welcoming the endorsement 5 days into early voting, Cuomo mentioned he seems to be ahead to partnering with Suozzi “to make our city safer, stronger, and more livable” if elected.
“I’m grateful to have Congressman Tom Suozzi’s support as we head into early voting. I’ve known Tom for many years — he’s smart, results-driven, and a true public servant who delivers for the people he represents,” Cuomo mentioned in an announcement.
Though Cuomo entered the final election with fewer endorsements than he obtained through the main, he has begun to realize extra high-profile backers within the closing days of the race.
On Tuesday, former Gov. David Paterson endorsed Cuomo after earlier supporting outgoing Mayor Eric Adams, who’s now additionally backing the third-party candidate. Paterson had beforehand been amongst those that labored to unite the candidates opposing Mamdani after the Queens Meeting member, a democratic socialist, gained the Democratic main in June.
