Mike Bloomberg Endorses Andrew Cuomo in NYC Mayoral Race

Former Mayor Mike Bloomberg is endorsing Andrew Cuomo’s comeback bid for City Hall, saying the ex-governor is best equipped to run the Big Apple.

Bloomberg is backing Cuomo not only in the June 24 Democratic primary, but also in the general election, The Post confirmed — a blow to incumbent Mayor Eric Adams.

“I care deeply about the future of our city, and since leaving office, it has been difficult to watch its struggles, especially since the pandemic,” the former-three-term mayor said Tuesday.

“In sizing up the field in the race for mayor, there is one candidate whose management experience and government know-how stand above the others: Andrew Cuomo.”

The billionaire business mogul will likely donate to Cuomo’s campaign, a source in the Bloomberg camp said. But it was unclear whether he would give a massive donation to the pro-Cuomo Fix the City super PAC, which has no limit on the size of contributions.

Bloomberg, in his statement, said he had differences with Cuomo when the two served as mayor and governor, respectively.

“But I also know his strengths as a leader and manager. Of all the candidates, Andrew has the skills our city needs to lead us forward,” Bloomberg said.

Bloomberg did not mention any of Cuomo’s rivals, particularly Democratic socialist candidate Zohran Mamdani.

But sources close to Bloomberg said he doesn’t want an anti-capitalist tax hiker and foe of Israel running City Hall.

Cuomo appeared on Bloomberg TV Monday and he met with the owner of the namesake company afterwards, a source confirmed, and he must have won him over.

The endorsement is a big deal because Bloomberg has rarely weighed in on competitive local New York races since leaving office, particularly in party primaries, sources noted.

Bloomberg did not endorse in the 2021 Democratic mayoral primary, but he did back Adams in the general election that year against Republican Curtis Sliwa.

The scandal-scarred Adams is running for re-election on an independent line, meaning he will only appear on the November general election ballot.

Campaign strategists and politicians said Bloomberg’s backing could shore up Cuomo’s support with moderate and Jewish Democrats, as well as voters on the fence who care about city management.

“It will give Cuomo a boost with voters who care about the management of the city and issues related to the quality of life. Voters who thought Bloomberg was a good manager,” said Basil Smikle, former executive director of the state Democratic Party and Columbia University lecturer on politics.

Bloomberg in his endorsement credited Cuomo with getting “big things done,” citing the redevelopment of LaGuardia Airport, the opening of the 2nd Avenue Subway and creation of Moynihan Station — “All long-stalled projects that he jump-started and completed.”

“He has decades of experience navigating state and federal governments. He has governed as a pragmatist, focused on solving problems rather than engaging in ideological or partisan warfare,” Bloomberg said of Cuomo.

“The question before New Yorkers is not: Who is the perfect choice? No mayor is perfect. The question is: Who is the best choice? To me, that choice is clear: Andrew Cuomo.”

Cuomo and Bloomberg had a complicated relationship during their time serving together.

Bloomberg had endorsed Cuomo’s run for governor in 2010, and the thrice-elected Democrat was in the Executive Mansion for the businessman’s final three years as mayor from 2011 to 2013.

But the two grappled over several issues, including a housing rental assistance program called Advantage and credit for passing New York’s law legalizing same-sex marriage in 2011.

Still, their disagreements were tame compared to Cuomo’s nasty battles with Bloomberg’s successor, Mayor Bill de Blasio.

The endorsement comes after Bloomberg’s top allies have poured money into Cuomo’s campaign.

Ed Skyler, a former deputy mayor to Bloomberg who is now a top executive at Citigroup, recently donated $400 — the maximum allowed under restrictions for employees of a firm that does business with city government.

He told a former colleague that he would have stayed out of the race, if not for polls showing Mamdani closing in on Cuomo in the June 24 Democratic primary.

A recent poll conducted for pro-Mamdani groups by the left-wing think tank Data for Progress showed the gap between the rivals narrowing to 51% to 49% for Cuomo, within the margin’s 3 point margin of error.

This as an internal Cuomo campaign survey released Monday had him beating Mamdani by 12 points in the ranked choice voting contest.

“Ultimately elections are about choices and there is no question New York City will be stronger and safer with a competent leader like Andrew instead of someone with a far-left agenda and no experience governing,” Skyler told the pal.

Skyler, a former Republican turned independent, previously eyed running for mayor himself. But he declined after Cuomo entered the race.

A former deputy mayor of operations in the Bloomberg administration, Skyler is concerned about bolstering public safety and boosting economic development.

He was floored, a source close to him said, after reading in The Post that Mamdani targeted the Cornell Tech campus on Roosevelt Island for a boycott because of the Ivy League university’s partnership with a leading Israeli tech school, Technion University. Bloomberg approved the high-tech campus to help diversify the Big Apple’s economy.

A pro-Palestinian activist, Mamdani, a state Assembly member from Queens, is a staunch foe of Israel and backs the boycott, divestment and sanctions, or BDS, movement against the Jewish state.

Skyler is just the latest associate of Bloomberg to come off the sidelines to back Cuomo.

Last month, the former three-term mayor’s daughter, Emma Bloomberg, gave the $2,100 maximum contribution to the ex-governor’s political comeback bid.

Bloomberg’s right hand adviser Kevin Sheekey, who ran the billionaire’s 2020 presidential bid and is a top executive at his namesake media company, also donated to the Cuomo campaign’s kitty.

Thomas Secunda — the billionaire co-founder of Bloomberg LP — gave $40,000 to the pro-Cuomo super PAC Fix the City.

Smikle, the political analyst, said the Bloomberg endorsement will help voters on the fence who are wavering between Cuomo, city Comptroller Brad Lander, former Comptroller Scott Stringer and Council Speaker Adrienne Adams over who’s best equipped to manage the city.

Conversely, Bloomberg taking center stage in the race could rile up more progressive Democrats to back Mamdani, who worry that the rich are trying to influence the election.

That’s certainly what Mamdani is hoping for.

“The billionaires are consolidating around Andrew Cuomo because they know he will preserve the broken status quo,” Mamdani said in a statement.

“New Yorkers are rallying behind Zohran Mamdani because they are ready for a new generation of leadership that puts working people first. On June 24, we will shock the political establishment and win a city we can all actually afford.”

But Cuomo was thrilled with having Bloomberg on his side, calling the former mayor a “preeminent statesman.”

“After 9/11 when New York City was in crisis, torn apart and broken, under Mike Bloomberg’s leadership our city was rebuilt – both our buildings and our soul. As Mayor, Mike turned a budget deficit into a surplus and fought for affordable housing and environmental justice, while championing public health initiatives and gun safety,” Cuomo said.

He said under Bloomberg “New York City was the best run city in the country, and his leadership has been sorely missed every day since.”

“Today, in this critical moment as New York City faces another crisis, I appreciate Mayor Bloomberg’s support and faith in my vision for a stronger, safer, more affordable New York City for all,” Cuomo said.