Andrew Cuomo has never been shy about talking up his roots. He rarely misses an opportunity to remind voters he’s a “ Queens boy,” raised in Holliswood in eastern Queens.
So Cuomo’s absence from a mayoral forum Saturday at the Robert Ross Johnson Family Center in St. Albans, a mere 15 minutes from where he grew up, did not go unnoticed by his rivals – or many of the 120 or so voters in attendance.
“We have a lot of good candidates here tonight and I’m so glad that I think another candidate’s on the way,” said Scott Stringer, mayoral candidate and former city comptroller. “I think Cuomo’s coming. You think he’s coming?” he said to the audience with a touch of sarcasm. “He’s not coming.”
Cuomo’s decision to skip the event in front of an audience featuring many of the middle-class Black voters he is counting on for support, highlights a key element of his campaign strategy: Cuomo has avoided sharing the stage with other mayoral hopefuls, seeking to give his campaign the aura of a foregone coronation.
When asked about Cuomo’s whereabouts on Saturday, campaign spokesperson Rich Azzopardi declined to say why Cuomo was not at the event. “He meets voters where they are,” he texted.
But this strategy comes with risk as the mad dash toward the June 24 primary begins in earnest.
The southeast Queens forum was sponsored by the NAACP; the Links Incorporated, an invitation-only service organization of Black women; and the Queens chapters of historically Black sororities and fraternities. Some attendees described themselves as undecided, while others said they left with newfound clarity.
“ I didn't know who they were and I was quite impressed with quite a few,” said Jackie Arrington-Pinkard, 81, of St. Albans. “ It doesn't mean that I've made a decision, but I'm looking at everyone now a lot more openly.”
Reaghan Smith, 50, came from Rochdale Village, a sprawling, middle-income Mitchell-Lama housing complex, to hear from all candidates.
“ I'm a little disappointed that Cuomo did not come out, being such the strong leader that he was,” Smith said. “He's not getting my vote now.”
Cuomo has offered his own explanation about why he avoids these types of forums.
“I want to talk to the people of the city in a real-life environment, not in a staged forum with special interests where the audience is selected,” he told reporters last month.
Stringer wasn’t the only candidate at the St. Albans event who slammed Cuomo’s absence.
“Aren't you tired of the drama, the scandal, the corruption? I'm tired of it,” Council Speaker Adrienne Adams said, delivering an attack that takes on new significance with the news that the U.S. Attorney’s office in Washington, D.C. is investigating whether Cuomo lied under oath during congressional testimony. His campaign has dismissed the investigation as politically motivated “law-fare.”
Cuomo’s opponents suggested his absence showed a lack of respect for voters.
“ If you don't show up to this forum, I do not think you have the same right to ask for these votes,” mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, the assemblymember representing northwest Queens, told the audience. “That's right,” a woman from the audience replied.
“ The problem with Andrew Cuomo is that he's too afraid to talk to us directly,” said Stringer. “And if you are too cowardly and too afraid to come to southeast Queens and talk directly for an hour-and-a-half, you know Trump is going to beat the hell out of him and that’s something we can’t have.”
While the avoidance strategy may have worked well up to this point, Cuomo will soon face his challengers on stage in two debates – on June 4 and June 12 – that are required of candidates participating in the city’s public matching funds program. WNYC will co-host the June 12 debate, and we’re asking our audience to suggest questions for the candidates.
Cuomo’s campaign insists he will be there.
Ballot Box
This week we're wondering: Does Cuomo's reluctance to share a stage with rival candidates matter to you?
Last week we asked: Do polling numbers affect who you choose to support in local elections?
We also invited you to tell us why or why not. Here’s what some of you said:
“To some extent: they don't determine who I support, but if the candidate I like is not resonating with people for whatever reason, it does make me think twice about why that might be the case, and if I have some blind spots. Or if a candidate I did not take seriously is doing way better than I expected, then it makes me take them more seriously and look more into their positions. Ultimately, I don't vote or support according to polls, but they do help in a crowded field where I am not familiar with everyone.”
- Nikolas, Queens
“I make decisions based on the quality of the candidate, experience, legislative support, proposed initiatives, and lack of scandals.”
- Shahzadi, Manhattan
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7 headlines
(1) TheJustice Department opened an inquiry into Cuomo, singling out another political target. Here’s what it’s investigating.
(2) Federal prosecutors are charging U.S. Rep. LaMonica McIver of New Jersey for allegedly assaulting ICE agents at a Newark facility earlier this month. Here’s what happened.
(3) Mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani made a video asking voters to donate to rival candidate Adrienne Adams. Here’s why.
(5) Three New York City resource centers that help migrants apply for asylum, work permits and other immigration programs will close next month. Here’s why.
(6) Republican lawmakers in New York are clashing over a deal to increase a tax deduction, a dispute that may stall President Donald Trump’s fiscal agenda. Here are the details.
(7) Dante de Blasio shared his NYC mayor ranked-choice ballot with the New York Times. Here’s who he ranked as number 1. (New York Times)
