Overview:
Earlier than heading to the polls, here is a information to Andrew Cuomo’s comeback marketing campaign—from his coverage guarantees to the controversies nonetheless trailing him.
Editor’s Notice: The factors on this article are based mostly on Andrew Cuomo’s public statements throughout two current mayoral debates. His marketing campaign staff didn’t reply to a number of requests for remark or an interview with The Haitian Occasions.
Andrew Cuomo’s return to public life has sparked each enthusiasm and skepticism. A seasoned politician with an advanced legacy, he’s asking voters to imagine in his capacity to handle a disaster and restore order. For Haitian New Yorkers weighing their choices this election, listed below are seven key issues to know.
1. He brings many years of govt expertise—and says town wants it
Cuomo has repeatedly argued that New York Metropolis can’t afford a mayor who wants “on-the-job coaching.” He’s operating on a resume that features:
- 11 years as New York governor
- Former HUD Secretary underneath President Clinton
- Oversight of large-scale infrastructure tasks like LaGuardia Airport and the Second Avenue Subway
He guarantees to “get issues achieved”—on time and underneath price range—and says his first-year objectives are daring: lease down, crime down, check scores up, and extra jobs.
2. He’s dealing with ongoing scrutiny from previous scandals
Cuomo resigned in 2021 amid a number of sexual harassment allegations, which he denies. He calls the investigation “political,” mentioning that no prices have been filed. However critics spotlight the $20 million in taxpayer funds spent defending his workplace.
He’s additionally dealing with heavy criticism for his administration’s early pandemic directive requiring nursing properties to readmit COVID-positive sufferers—an effort to ease hospital crowding that some say contributed to 1000’s of resident deaths. Cuomo argues the virus was already current in most services and that he adopted federal steerage. Nonetheless, delayed reporting of the complete demise toll has left many questioning his transparency.
3. He needs to broaden the NYPD
Cuomo helps including 5,000 new officers, with 1,500 deployed to the subways instantly. His message is obvious: he needs the NYPD absolutely staffed, absolutely funded, and prosecuting all crimes—together with misdemeanors.
He opposes efforts to shut Rikers Island by 2027, calling it “a mistake” and proposing to rebuild fashionable jails on the island as a substitute of establishing new borough-based services.
4. He rejects lease freezes—however helps extra housing
Cuomo is against freezing lease for rent-stabilized residences, calling it “a debacle” underneath Mayor de Blasio. As a substitute, he needs to:
- Construct 500,000 new housing models
- Reserve rent-stabilized models for low-income residents solely
- Pace up building timelines by slicing crimson tape
Whereas he’s not providing common lease aid, Cuomo frames his housing plan as a supply-focused repair that goals to profit tenants and house owners alike.
5. He doesn’t help free public transit for all
Cuomo criticizes free buses as a “mistake” that turns public transit into “cellular homeless gathering locations.” As a substitute, he proposes focused fare aid just for working households who actually want it.
He additionally needs partial management of NYC Transit shifted from the MTA to town to streamline pricey capital tasks.
6. He’s positioning himself as a verify on Trump—and socialists
Cuomo claims an extended historical past of confronting Donald Trump—resembling in the course of the COVID-19 quarantine threats—and says he’s prepared to face as much as federal overreach once more. Nevertheless, he’s additionally focusing on progressive Democrats like Zohran Mamdani, framing their insurance policies as unrealistic and dangerous to town’s financial system.
“You want somebody who can combat Trump but in addition govern—not simply protest,” Cuomo mentioned throughout a current debate.
7. He has a combined report with communities of shade—together with Haitians
Whereas Cuomo has traditionally loved help from older Black and Latino voters, his relationship with immigrant communities, together with Haitians, is extra complicated. He’s vowed to uphold sanctuary metropolis legal guidelines, however has been much less outspoken than rivals like Mamdani on the subject of ICE enforcement or TPS protections.
He’s additionally confronted criticism for not investing sufficient in psychological well being and social companies that disproportionately have an effect on Black and immigrant New Yorkers.