Bill Clinton is wading directly into the battle for the future of the Democratic party, endorsing ex-governor Andrew Cuomo in his comeback bid to be mayor of New York City.
Clinton's last-minute endorsement came two days ahead of Tuesday's primary, which will likely decide the next mayor of the Democratic city.
The main contenders are Cuomo, a tarnished idol of the Democratic party, and progressive upstart Zohran Mamdani.
“I am honored to have the support of President Bill Clinton — a personal mentor, friend, and hero. His administration was one of the most accomplished in modern political history,” Cuomo said.
The contest is drawing interest far outside the limits of the city's five boroughs, with prominent Democrats weighing in on both sides.
Clinton - who lives in a wealthy suburb north of the city - released a robocall backing Cuomo, who worked as Housing Secretary in the Clinton White House.
“The election will decide the next mayor of New York, and I urge you to vote for Andrew Cuomo,” Clinton said in the recorded message. “As president, I chose Andrew to be my secretary of Housing and Urban Development, and he never let me down.”
“New York City is facing major challenges. There is a desperate need for affordable housing, homelessness is at a crisis level, and public safety must be restored,” Clinton said.
“It is imperative that New York chooses a mayor who has the ability, talent, and experience to do the job.
Clinton is the biggest name to weigh in, but Cuomo has also been endorsed by Democratic power broke James Clyburn (D-Sc.), who helped secure Joe Biden's presidential nomination in 2020.
In 2020, Cuomo rode a wave of fear during the COVID pandemic to become one of the nation's most popular Democrats, only to fall from grace a year later over sexual misconduct claims. Cuomo also faced criticism for covering up nursing home deaths during the pandemic.
Attorney general Letitia James (D) - who led the investigations that led to Cuomo's resignation - has weighed in forcefully against Cuomo in the city's ranked-choice primary, which allows voters to choose more than one candidate in order of preference.
Despite his scandalous past, Cuomo has some advantages. Besides name recognition, Cuomo still has ties to the Democratic party establishment, as Clinton's endorsement makes clear.
The northeastern U.S. is currently experiencing a brutal heat wave that is expected to send temperatures in New York soaring to 100 degrees Fahrenheit on Tuesday.
