NEW YORK — In a high-stakes appearance on Fox News just two days before Election Day, independent mayoral candidate and former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo reiterated his willingness to work collaboratively with President Donald Trump if elected, highlighting their past partnership during Trump's first term. "I know President Trump. I was governor when he was president. In the first term, we worked together," Cuomo said during the Sunday interview. "I'm going to try cooperation."
Cuomo's comments come amid a fiercely contested three-way race for the mayor's office, where polls consistently show Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani holding a commanding lead. The former governor positioned himself as a pragmatic leader capable of bridging partisan divides, rejecting the notion that Democratic city officials must inherently clash with a Republican White House. "I'm going to try cooperation," he emphasized, adding that Trump, a native New Yorker with deep ties to the city, "cares about New York" and would likely be receptive to joint efforts on infrastructure, economic development, and public safety.
The independent candidate warned that adversarial relations could prove "unfortunate" and devolve into unproductive politics, insisting that a cooperative approach would yield tangible benefits for the city's 8.3 million residents. Cuomo pointed to successful collaborations during his governorship, including federal aid for transportation projects and disaster recovery, as evidence of what could be achieved. He also stressed the need for a strong partnership with New York's current Gov. Kathy Hochul, describing the city as the state's economic powerhouse. "We have to work together," Cuomo said, noting that New York's fiscal health depends on seamless state-city coordination on issues like housing affordability and homelessness.
Cuomo's outreach to Trump aligns with his broader campaign strategy to appeal to moderate and conservative voters disillusioned with progressive policies. Throughout the race, he has portrayed Mamdani, a 34-year-old state assemblyman and self-described democratic socialist, as inexperienced and ideologically extreme. On Fox News, Cuomo dismissed Mamdani's platform— which includes free city buses, universal childcare, and rent freezes for stabilized apartments—as "slick slogans with no real solutions." He argued that only a seasoned executive like himself could navigate federal relations effectively, especially under a Trump administration that controls key levers like immigration enforcement and funding for ports and airports.
The former governor spared no criticism for his Republican opponent, Curtis Sliwa, the founder of the Guardian Angels vigilante group. Cuomo echoed Trump's own assessment, stating that Sliwa lacks the "managerial and government experience" needed for "prime time." Sliwa, who ran unsuccessfully against Eric Adams in 2021, has defied calls from some Republicans and billionaires to drop out and consolidate anti-Mamdani votes behind Cuomo. Instead, Sliwa has insisted on staying in the race, framing himself as the true conservative alternative and accusing Cuomo of being "Zohran lite."
As early voting wrapped up on Sunday, November 2, with a record-shattering turnout, the contours of the electorate came into sharper focus. The New York City Board of Elections reported that more than 735,000 ballots were cast during the nine-day early voting period—over four times the number from the 2021 mayoral election. On the final day alone, approximately 151,000 voters turned out, the highest single-day total. Cumulative figures showed Manhattan leading with strong participation, followed by Brooklyn and Queens, while the Bronx and Staten Island lagged but still contributed significantly.
This surge reflects heightened interest in a race that has drawn national attention for its ideological stakes. Voters aged 55 and older dominated early turnout, comprising more than half of participants—a stark contrast to the June Democratic primary, where younger voters (25-34) drove Mamdani's upset victory over Cuomo. The median early voter age was 56, aligning with patterns from the 2024 presidential election. Political analysts note that older, more moderate demographics have favored Cuomo in polls, potentially narrowing Mamdani's lead if Election Day mirrors early trends.
Recent surveys underscore Mamdani's frontrunner status. A Quinnipiac University poll released October 29 showed the assemblyman with 43% support among likely voters, compared to Cuomo's 33% and Sliwa's 14%. An Emerson College survey pegged Mamdani's lead at 25 points in some scenarios, while a Fox News poll had him ahead by 16 points (47% to Cuomo's 31%). Other polls, including one from Atlas, placed Mamdani at 40%, Cuomo at 34%, and Sliwa at 24%. Across late October and early November snapshots, Mamdani consistently polled between 41% and 47%, Cuomo 31-34%, and Sliwa 14-24%. Hypothetical two-way matchups without Sliwa showed a tighter contest, with Mamdani leading Cuomo by margins within the error range in some cases.
Mamdani's campaign has capitalized on grassroots energy, amassing over 95,000 volunteers and focusing on affordability crises plaguing working-class New Yorkers. If victorious on Tuesday, November 4, he would become the city's first Muslim and first South Asian mayor, as well as its youngest in over a century. His platform promises transformative policies: city-owned grocery stores to combat food insecurity, a $20 minimum wage, and 500,000 new affordable housing units. Mamdani has also vowed to "take on Trump," positioning the mayor's office as a bulwark against federal overreach on immigration and reproductive rights.
Cuomo, who resigned as governor in 2021 amid sexual harassment allegations (which he denies), launched his independent bid after losing the Democratic primary to Mamdani by nearly 13 points in ranked-choice voting. Running on the "Fight and Deliver" line, he has raised millions from business leaders and pro-Israel donors, emphasizing crime reduction, police expansion, and fiscal responsibility. Cuomo has warned darkly of "mayhem" under Mamdani, predicting economic collapse and federal intervention.
Sliwa, campaigning on public safety and animal rights (via his "Protect Animals" ballot line), has worn his signature red beret while patrolling subways and rallying in conservative enclaves like Staten Island. Despite polling in the mid-teens, he has rebuffed dropout pleas, declaring, "The Sliwa surge is real." His presence is widely seen as splitting the anti-Mamdani vote, potentially handing the election to the Democrat.
Incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, who withdrew his reelection bid in September amid federal corruption charges, endorsed Cuomo last week, bolstering the independent's credentials among Black and Orthodox Jewish communities. Adams' name remains on the ballot as an independent, alongside withdrawn candidate Jim Walden.
With polls open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. on November 4, turnout could shatter records, potentially exceeding 2 million voters in a city where Democrats outnumber Republicans 6-to-1. Over 584,000 early ballots were cast by mid-period, with final tallies pushing past 735,000. Absentee ballots and Election Day surges will determine the outcome.
The race has exposed deep rifts within New York's Democratic establishment. Figures like Sen. Chuck Schumer have withheld endorsements from Mamdani, while progressives rally behind his vision. National Democrats watch closely, viewing the contest as a bellwether for the party's future. Republicans, meanwhile, eye Sliwa's performance for signs of inroads in urban America.
As lines formed at polling sites on Sunday, voters expressed a mix of optimism and anxiety. "We need someone who can get things done with Washington," said one Bronx resident backing Cuomo. A Brooklyn volunteer for Mamdani countered, "This is about fighting for the forgotten, not deals with billionaires."
Whoever prevails will inherit a city grappling with post-pandemic recovery, housing shortages, subway crime, and migrant influxes. The next mayor must balance a $115 billion budget while addressing climate resilience and inequality. Cuomo's olive branch to Trump signals one path; Mamdani's defiance another. On Tuesday, New Yorkers decide.
