"In 1977, Cuomo's father, Mario, was running for mayor of New York against Ed Koch, who was widely and correctly rumored to be a closeted gay man. Andrew Cuomo was reportedly the mastermind behind nasty anonymous posters plastered throughout the city that urged the electorate to "Vote for Cuomo, not the homo." (Cuomo has always denied responsibility for the poster, a disavowal that very few people, including Koch, took seriously.)"
"The same meanness of spirit that embraced naked homophobia in 1977 is now more than willing to stir up racism and Islamophobia in 2025. Cuomo has already lost the New York Democratic mayoral primary and, according to all available polling, is about to be thoroughly trounced by front-runner Zohran Mamdani in next Tuesday's general election. In his desperation, Cuomo has gone back to his familiar playbook of dirty tricks."
Andrew Cuomo engaged in a mayoral campaign strategy that revived prejudice and fear, including racist and Islamophobic rhetoric. He previously benefited from a family legacy stained by anonymous homophobic posters during Mario Cuomo's 1977 mayoral run. Cuomo's comments on right-wing radio invoked the specter of 9/11 and suggested Mamdani would 'be cheering,' prompting laughter and alignment with a host who had labeled Mamdani a 'terrorist.' Polling showed Cuomo trailing front-runner Zohran Mamdani after losing the Democratic primary. Cuomo received endorsements from controversial figures, and his tactics were characterized as a return to a familiar playbook of dirty tricks.
Read at The Nation
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