'In it to win it': Cuomo refuses to back down in heated NYC mayoral race against Zohran Mamdani

Andrew Cuomo says he's going the distance.

The former three-term New York governor, who last month was defeated by double digits by democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani in New York City's Democratic mayoral primary, on Monday announced he will continue his general election bid as an independent candidate.

"Only 13% of New Yorkers voted in the June primary. The general election is in November and I am in it to win it," Cuomo declared in a video posted to social media.

And Cuomo charged that "My opponent, Mr. Mamdani offers slick slogans but no real solutions."

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Mamdani's primary victory over Cuomo and nine other candidates three weeks ago rocked the Democratic Party, and boosted the Ugandan-born 33-year-old state assemblyman from Queens toward becoming the first Muslim mayor of the nation's most populous city.

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Mamdani surged to a primary victory thanks to an energetic campaign that put a major focus on affordability and New York City's high cost of living.

Mamdani made smart use of social media platforms, including TikTok, as he engaged low-propensity voters. He proposed eliminating fares to ride New York City's vast bus system, making CUNY (City University of New York) "tuition-free," freezing rents on municipal housing, offering "free childcare" for children up to age 5, and setting up government-run grocery stores.

And thanks in part to the efforts of a massive grassroots army of volunteers, he rode a wave of support from younger and progressive voters to catapult into first place over Cuomo, who was the frontrunner.

"Unless you've been living under a rock, you probably know that the Democratic primary did not go the way I had hoped," said Cuomo, the former three-term governor who resigned from office in 2021 amid multiple scandals.

Cuomo, who is gunning for a political comeback, noted that "as my grandfather used to say, when you get knocked down, learn the lesson and pick yourself back up and get in the game. And that is what I'm going to do. The fight to save our city isn't over."

At an endorsement event on Monday, Mamdani reacted to Cuomo's move.

"I welcome everyone to this race, and I am as confident as I have been since three weeks ago on primary night," he said.

"I think he's struggling to come to terms with what Tuesday meant," Mamdani added. "We spent an entire campaign being told that it was inevitable for Andrew Cuomo to become the next mayor, and he believed that himself."

Mamdani also trolled the former governor on Monday, responding to a photo of Cuomo filming his campaign video.

"We got him making man on the street videos with a guy in Carhartt. By next week, he'll be sipping adeni chai and eating khaliat al nahl," Mamdani said in reference to his own viral campaign videos.

The announcement by Cuomo came as no major surprise.

While he acknowledged Mamdani's victory in the primary, Cuomo left the door open to a November run as an independent candidate, which election rules in New York state permit.

And late last month, Cuomo let pass a deadline for candidates who had already qualified to run as independents to decline that independent ballot line.

But sources told Fox News at the time that Cuomo had not committed yet to running an active general election campaign through the summer and into the autumn.

In deep blue New York City, the Democratic primary winner is largely favored to win the general election. If Mamdani wins in November, he will be the first Muslim and millennial mayor of New York City. 

Also on the general election ballot is Democratic Mayor Eric Adams, who dropped his primary bid earlier this year amid sinking poll numbers in the wake of numerous controversies.

Adams is running as an independent.

Also on the ballot in the general election are Jim Walden, a former federal prosecutor running as an independent, and Guardian Angels co-founder Curtis Sliwa, who, for a second straight election, is the Republican mayoral nominee.