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Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo appeared to be joking Saturday when he said he would move to Florida if Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani wins the New York City mayor’s race.
Cuomo lost to Mamdani in the Democratic primary, but is planning to challenge him as an independent in the general election. The line, delivered at a Hamptons breakfast with political insiders, sparked laughter but also highlighted growing unease over the city’s political direction.
“It’s all or nothing. We either win or even I will move to Florida. God forbid,” Cuomo said, according to attendees at the event.
The remark came during a private gathering hosted by businessman John Catsimatidis at 75 Main in Southampton. Catsimatidis, a GOP donor and radio host, is also the owner of the Gristedes and D’Agostino supermarket chains, which could be directly affected by Mamdani’s proposal to create government-run grocery stores.
The guest list included RXR Realty Chairman Bruce Mosler, Ambassador George Tsunis, and former top Cuomo aide Melissa DeRosa. One attendee described the line as a “wow” moment. Multiple guests said it got the room’s attention.
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Cuomo’s senior adviser, Rich Azzopardi, defended the comment to the New York Post.
“Governor Cuomo would never give up on New York,” he said. “The line underscored the stakes in this election and the risk of electing a dangerously inexperienced, hate-spewing 33-year-old socialist to lead the city.”
Cuomo repeatedly referred to Mamdani as “the kid” during the event. He called Mamdani’s rent freeze proposal a “death sentence” for landlords and housing supply, and dismissed his platform as “unrealistic bumper sticker slogans.”
Mamdani’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment.
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Cuomo also took aim at Mayor Eric Adams, who is also running as an independent, saying, “We haven’t had a competent mayor since Bloomberg.” He accused Adams of being unable to focus, citing ongoing investigations and ethics concerns.
Asked about the criticism by the New York Post, Adams responded, “If he’s serious about moving to Florida, he should go ahead. He’s already spent three weekends in the Hamptons.”
The race, which also features Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa, has become one of the most unconventional mayoral contests in recent memory.
Cuomo’s campaign did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Fox News’ Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.
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