REPORT: Andrew Cuomo Views Brad Lander as His Top Obstacle to City Hall

New report reveals Cuomo fears Lander has “a clear shot at City Hall” as he pleads with donors, elected officials, labor leaders and clergy for their support

Development comes on heels of numerous new polls showing Lander as Cuomo’s strongest challenger 

NEW YORK, NY — According to a bombshell new report, Andrew Cuomo has been privately telling political insiders he views Brad Lander as his “foil” in the race for Mayor, worrying Lander has a “clear shot at City Hall.” The report comes days after a new public poll shows Lander as the best positioned challenger to Cuomo, echoing similar findings in a Global Strategy Group poll previously conducted for Lander’s campaign. An additional new poll shows Cuomo’s support drops to 18 percent after voters learn more information about his record. 

“For months we’ve been hearing behind the scenes that Andrew Cuomo fears Brad the most and will be targeting him in this race,” Lander Campaign Manager Alison Hirsh said. “Andrew Cuomo is obviously seeing the same polls we are, which show that his support is as soft as cotton candy, and Brad is his top challenger.” 

According to Crain’s:

“LANDER AS FOIL — Cuomo has met privately with potential donors, elected officials, labor leaders and clergy as he considers a campaign. In those talks, the former governor pitched himself as ‘a moderate, pragmatic, results-oriented leader who can help reorient the city,’ said one person familiar with the conversations.

In some of those conversations, Cuomo has positioned himself as a foil to City Comptroller Brad Lander, a progressive whom the ex-governor said could have a clear shot at City Hall unless he enters the race, two people said. (Lander has made his own effort to court business leaders, including in an early campaign stop at the Association for a Better New York.)”

Last week, the Independent Honan Strategy Group released a poll that found Lander defeating all Cuomo contenders, including Eric Adams, in both initial and ranked choice voting. A separate poll by the Manhattan Institute found Cuomo’s net favorable underwater at -3%, while Lander enjoyed a huge advantage in the potential to grow his vote share, with a strong net positive favorability of +13%.

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