Tuesday, April 8, 2025
Year : 2, Issue: 32
NY1: As Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez works to build a movement against President Donald Trump, anticipation is building in her hometown for the Democratic congressmember’s potential intervention in the New York City mayoral race.
“She is among the heavyweight A-list endorsers who have the power to change the trajectory of the race,” said Trip Yang, a Democratic strategist.
She stands to offer clarity to left-leaning voters in a ranked-choice primary, where progressives are hoping to apply a unified strategy to beat Andrew Cuomo, a moderate frontrunner and longtime progressive nemesis with a significant lead in the polls.
The primary is crowded with contenders vying to Cuomo’s left, and two top progressives hold potential appeal for Ocasio-Cortez.
Although an endorsement from Ocasio-Cortez would not guarantee a victory, few have questioned the power she has to shake up the race. In 2021, she endorsed Maya Wiley as her first choice one week before early voting began.
But Ocasio-Cortez, whose campaign didn’t respond to a request for comment, is known to take a wait-and-see approach.
For now, one thing is almost certain: Ocasio-Cortez will oppose Cuomo and the incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, now running as an independent. She called on Adams to step down after multiple members of his administration departed amid federal investigations, but before his indictment — and ahead of other members of their shared party. She was among the many Democrats who said Cuomo should step down four years ago amid sexual misconduct allegations.
Even prior to the scandal, there was little love lost between Ocasio-Cortez and Cuomo. The two are ideologically opposed on issues from taxing the wealthy to policing. In 2020, she challenged the then-governor’s plan to build a $2 billion AirTrain that would connect Long Island Railroad and subway riders to LaGuardia Airport. The plan was later halted by Gov. Kathy Hochul.
Though Ocasio-Cortez has not spoken publicly about endorsing a mayoral candidate, she told a CNN reporter that she would not support Cuomo’s candidacy.
