Mayor Eric Adams called former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo a “snake and a liar” when they were running against each other in the general election for mayor. But since Mr. Adams dropped his re-election bid and endorsed Mr. Cuomo, they have made peace.
The two Democrats, both moderates, have campaigned together among imams in Harlem and Orthodox Jewish leaders in Brooklyn. They have defended each other against accusations of Islamophobia from Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee for mayor.
They’ve also had a meeting of the minds on policy.
On Friday, Mr. Adams announced a plan to hire 5,000 more police officers, the same number that Mr. Cuomo has promised to hire if elected. Mr. Adams leaves office at the end of December, and it would be up to the next mayor to keep or abandon the plan.
Mr. Cuomo also pledged to implement what Mr. Adams considers one of his biggest accomplishments — a rezoning plan dubbed the “City of Yes” that is designed to spur the development of housing.
And on Thursday, Mr. Adams gave a 10-minute address from City Hall where he condemned an anti-Israel exhibit on Governors Island. The subtext of his remarks was criticism of Mr. Mamdani’s positions on Israel and the war in Gaza, including his initial refusal to condemn the term “globalize the intifada,” seen by many as a call to violence against Jews.
Mr. Adams described the differences between him and Mr. Cuomo as a family dispute.
“When the family is under attack,” Mr. Adams said at an event this week in the Bronx, “They come together.”
Mr. Cuomo, seeking a boost in his effort to overcome what most polls say is a double digit deficit to Mr. Mamdani, has embraced Mr. Adams and his endorsement, seeking to strengthen his connection among Black and Orthodox Jewish voters, groups the mayor had strong relationships with during his tenure.
Dora Pekec, a spokeswoman for Mr. Mamdani, said she is not surprised by the alliance between the mayor and the former governor.
“We’ve long known that Andrew Cuomo is running for Eric Adams’s second term,” she said.
Jeffery C. Mays is a Times reporter covering politics with a focus on New York City Hall.
The post Once Bitter Rivals, Cuomo and Adams Join Forces in Mayor’s Race appeared first on New York Times.
