New Kings Democrats are proud to join a strong coalition of New York City Democratic leaders and clubs in signing the letter below. It is unacceptable for our party to support Andrew Cuomo's run for mayor of New York City. For a full list of signatories—including more than a dozen state and city elected officials, 30 District Leaders, and more than 100 County Committee members—see the continuously updated document here.

TO:

Hon. Jay S. Jacobs
Chair, New York State Democratic Party

Hon. Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn
Chair, Brooklyn Democratic Party

Hon. Keith L.T. Wright
County Leader, New York County Democrats

Rep. Gregory Meeks
Chair, Queens County Democratic Party

Hon. Jamaal Bailey
Chair, Bronx Democratic Party

Hon. Laura LoBianco Sword
Chair, Staten Island Democrats

As Democratic Party officials, Democratic clubs, and Democratic elected officials in New York City, we recognize this as a crucial moment for leadership in our party, in our city, and in our country.

The Republican Party and Donald Trump are showing Americans and New Yorkers what it looks like for a political party to put itself in thrall to a bully, to ignore a damning record of abuse and corruption, and to define strength as callous disrespect and dismissal of those who are different or disagree. The Republican Party stands for nothing besides allegiance to Donald Trump. Democrats must prove that we still stand for something.

Nearly every prominent Democrat in New York called for Governor Andrew Cuomo’s resignation in 2021, after New York State Attorney General Letitia James’s investigation documented Cuomo’s sexual harassment of eleven female government employees. An August 2021 U.S. Department of Justice Investigation also found that Cuomo sexually harassed employees, and that he and his staff created a sexually hostile work environment and retaliated against a number of staff. If Democrats now endorse Cuomo’s return to power, we will be surrendering to the Trump Republican view that women’s rights don’t matter — that survivors don’t matter.

Cuomo is still under investigation by a state ethics commission for using state resources to write a book for which he was paid $5.1 million dollars. And he has spent more than $25 million taxpayer dollars in ongoing litigation against state investigators and against the employees he sexually harassed, including subpoenaing one woman’s gynecological records.

Cuomo’s pattern of abuse, bullying, harassment, and retaliation are well documented and only add to his years of corruption and incompetence as Governor. He mismanaged the MTA, starved the city of federal homelessness assistance, and fought against fully funding public schools. Now, he wants us to believe he is the solution to the problems he created in the first place.

In 2019, Cuomo cut public health funding to New York City, the year before the Covid-19 pandemic hit New York. Attorney General James and the New York State Assembly later found that Cuomo intentionally concealed thousands of Covid deaths in nursing homes, as a result of his policy forcing nursing homes to accept infected patients.

Finally, the Albany Times Union uncovered that Cuomo knowingly allowed structurally deficient bolts to be installed in the new Tappan Zee Bridge (now “Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge”). This was corroborated by the New York State Assembly.

After corruption cases derailed Mayor Eric Adams’ administration, New York City needs a mayor who will focus on the needs of our city, not his own legal battles, obsession with power, and self-centered political comeback. In the era of Trump, it is more important than ever that Democrats take a strong stand against corruption.

Now is the time for Democratic leaders to show our constituents that we are the party of integrity, accountability, respect, transparency, and inclusivity. We must have a vision for a brighter future based on new ideas and fresh thinking, not nostalgia for a broken era and failed leadership that created many of the problems we face today. And we must govern in a way that builds trust and shows how government can be a force for good in people’s lives.

For these reasons and more, we oppose Andrew Cuomo’s campaign for mayor of New York City, and we urge all of our Democratic colleagues to pledge the same.

If you are an elected official and would like to sign on to the letter, reach out to [email protected].