Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is days away from potentially entering the New York City mayor’s race.
But even before Cuomo is set to make that announcement, some Democrats are already tossing around his name for a bigger race: the 2028 presidential campaign.
Since their loss in November, Democrats have been anxious to find a voice not only to lead them out of the wilderness but also to stand up to President Trump and the slew of actions he’s taken in his second term.
Cuomo, with his brash, in-your-face style, they say, could shape up to be a dark horse candidate in what is set to be a wide-open race.
In many ways, they say, it would be reminiscent of the spring of 2020, when Cuomo faced off with Trump during the height of the COVID-19 lockdown, when both men lobbed frequent barbs at each other.
“If Andrew Cuomo becomes mayor of New York, he could very well be Trump’s chief antagonist starting in 2026, which could give Democrats a voice to rally around, however imperfect a messenger he may be,” said Democratic strategist Jamal Simmons.
Cuomo resigned from office in 2021 after he was faced with sexual harassment allegations and a rash of criticism surrounding the way he reported COVID-19 deaths in his state. He has denied any wrongdoing.
Since then, he has kept a low public profile.
But in the Trump era, where the president himself is a convicted felon who has been at the center of dozens of claims of sexual abuse and trials surrounding those allegations, the game has changed.
“I don’t think we’re looking for purity anymore or we shouldn’t be,” one Democratic strategist said. “We need someone who’s a strong messenger, who knows how to communicate to the public and is willing to put on the gloves and punch.”
While it’s still early, a number of Democrats —including a number of governors— have emerged as prospective candidates in the 2028 race.
Govs. Josh Shapiro (Pa.), Gretchen Whitmer (Mich.), Gavin Newsom (Calif.) and Wes Moore (Md.) have all been mentioned as top contenders along with former Vice President Kamala Harris and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
Democrats expect more than two dozen candidates to test the waters in the next presidential race.
And while Trump himself can’t run again, Democrats say they are looking for someone who can organically take on the president and other MAGA Republicans.
“I think one of Andrew’s strongest qualities is that people feel like he’s fighting for them,” said Democratic strategist Basil Smikle, who served as the executive director of the New York State Democratic Party. “And that’s the uniqueness of this moment. Candidates can’t just sell their good governance. They have to be in the fight and he proved that during the first Trump administration.”
If Cuomo does enter the mayoral race, he will be up against embattled Mayor Eric Adams—who was indicted on five counts of corruption in Sept. — in the Democratic primary. Recent polls in New York show Cuomo with a double-digit lead over Adams in the race.
This week, even before jumping into the mayoral race, Cuomo received an endorsement from Rep. Ritchie Torres, who told the New York Post that the former governor “has the courage to stand up to extremist politics — both from the far left and right.”
“We don’t need a Mr. Nice Guy,” Torres said. “We need a Mr. Tough Guy.”
The primary battle could set up an organic fight between Cuomo and Adams, who attended Trump’s inauguration and has a relationship with the president.
“It provides him with an easy way to punch at both Trump and Adams,” a second Democratic strategist said. “It’s the perfect set up.”
At the same time, even those who worked for him are casting doubt on Cuomo’s chances of running for higher office, even if he enters the mayoral race and wins.
One source who worked for his administration said “there is absolutely no good reason for him to run for president.”
“He’s too damaged and people won’t let that go,” the former Cuomo aide said. “He also represents the politics of the past. The Democrats can’t look back. They need candidates of the future.”
And even if he wasn’t “damaged,” the source added, “The mayor of New York is rarely a strong presidential candidate, as history has noted.”
There would also be the question of time. If Cuomo did win the mayor’s race, he would have little time to focus his attention and resources on a presidential race.
“The [mayor’s] job is so intense that it really forces you to focus here and not have your eye on anything else,” Smikle said.
