Cuomo ironically draws support from conservative critics who view him as last hope to beat Mamdani

Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who was once a villain of the right during the COVID-19 pandemic, is  ow drawing support from some conservatives who see him as the best chance to beat Zohran Mamdani, a self-described Democratic socialist, for mayor of New York City.

At one time, House Republicans had criminally referred Cuomo to the Department of Justice over his testimony before a House panel about his handling of the pandemic.

The GOP-led Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic launched an investigation into Cuomo's COVID-19 response, particularly over the controversy involving nursing home deaths in New York. 

The panel sent a letter last year to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland alleging that the former governor “knowingly and willfully made materially false statements” to the panel during his testimony on June 11, 2024.

Cuomo has denied any wrongdoing with his COVID response policies.

Cuomo resigned from office in August 2021 after multiple women accused him of sexual harassment.

Republican businessman John Catsimatidis, the owner of WABC Radio in New York City, is leading an effort to get more conservatives to endorse Cuomo, who is running as an independent.

Catsimatidas has called on Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa to drop out of the race to make it a two-way contest between Cuomo and Mamdani.

Many of Mamdani's critics have made the case that Sliwa is going to pull votes from Cuomo by staying in the race.

Conservatives have argued that Mamdani's "socialist" policies would damage New York City beyond repair. 

President Donald Trump called for Sliwa to leave the race this week to give Cuomo a better chance at defeating Mamdani. 

“If [Sliwa] dropped out, he’s not going to win — and not looking too good for Cuomo either,” Trump said.

“But maybe, I don’t know, if he dropped out, maybe Cuomo would have a little bit of a chance, but not much, because it looks like the lead is, it’s not a great lead, but it’s big enough that he should be able to win,” Trump said.

Billionaire Bill Ackman, a strong supporter of Trump, has also called on Sliwa to drop out.

Cuomo recently made a direct pitch to Republicans to vote for him.

“I need your listeners to vote for me,” Cuomo said on WABC 77 radio’s “Sid & Friends in the Morning” program. “I don’t have horns...I need your voters to vote for me.”

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., slammed the Republicans who are coming out in support of Cuomo’s mayoral candidacy against Mamdani.

“I’m amazed at how many Republicans have suddenly forgotten or completely don’t care that Cuomo killed elderly people in nursing homes by putting COVID patients IN the nursing homes and enforced some of the most insane Covid lockdowns in the country!” Greene wrote in a post on the social media platform X. "But are now saying the NY Republican mayoral candidate should drop out so that the literal COVID Communist, Cuomo, can win and become mayor of NY again."