At least Andrew Cuomo’s latest act in politics has hit a trendy spot.
While Cuomo held his election night at the Ziegfeld Ballroom, defining himself in The Own Words As a “luxury movement area built in the Golden Era”, it doesn’t feel like a golden period on Tuesday to break the rut and posture and quit his exit from it.
The evening began on an ominous note, with (sending an) SOS by Rhetta Young Baring from the Ziegfeld speakers. Is the Cuoma Campaign sending musical messages through music? If so, it’s a confusing message: the next song will blame it on the Jacksons’ boogie.
Cuomo is doing very well in the polls, but there is a somewhat optimistic vibe in the Party, as people enjoy the free bar and watch the big TV screens. Signs displaying Cuomo’s names were displayed on tables, banners and, warmly, on small electronic screens above the men’s urinals.
But the situation did not last. Zohran Mamdani’s victory was announced at 9.35PM, prompting panic in the ballroom.
“I’m so weak. I’m just staring at the TV hoping that the numbers will change, in disbelief,” said TSONHA Diaz, from the Bronx. He continued to watch TV. If anything, the numbers are getting worse. With 90% of the votes on Tuesday night, Mamdani has more than 50% of the vote; Cuomo weakened to 41%.
“I don’t want to cry in front of people, but I feel really sad,” Diaz said. He voted for Cuomo because he was a “great governor” who did a lot for the Bronx, he said. He is not optimistic about Mamdani.
“I feel like I don’t know what’s going to happen in New York City. I mean, I have two grandchildren. I don’t know what they expect of this man, with all these ideas that he has.
Anthony T Jones is precisely In disbelief as Mamdani was announced the winner.
“I feel very good. I think hope is still alive,” he said, saying that “Zohran Mamdani won the mayor’s race.
The Guardian announced that every major news organization had announced Mamdani as the winner, Jones was able to grasp the reality quickly, but remained defiant.
“I’m not disappointed at all. No, because Cuomo ran a great campaign,” he said. Jones added of Cuomo, who is 67: “He’s still a young man.”
Jones and Diaz have expressed their concerns about Mamdani with more grace than Cuomo throughout the inflammatory campaign, but in some quarters the mood has turned sour.
“I’m happy to move to the long coast, because there’s no way I’m staying in a town with a female jihadi communist as Mayor,” combining Islamophobia with impreciseness.
“I already have a real-estate broker. I already got approval for a loan. I already have four places I’m going to see on Monday.”
Felice, who was drinking wine, added that the city of New Yorkers voted for Mamdani because “there are a lot of transplants and young people who vote, who buy his bullshit”.
Unfortunately there was no time to hear more from Felice, who said he was a teacher, because a perfect chant broke ahead.
“Shame on Sliwa! Shame on Sliwa!” Twelve people at the front of the room jeered, apparently blaming Sliwa, a Republican, for Cuomo’s loss. At the bar, a man tells his friend it’s “embarrassing”.
It’s not good at all. By 10.30pm should I stay or should I go to battle is the speakers blasting. Many people choose the latter. The waitstaff packed the free bar.
With people clearly losing interest, the campaign staff swung into action. They rushed the rest of the crowd to the front of the stage. It’s time for cuomo to show up, and give a gracious concession speech.
Except it’s not.
Cuomo then tried to pass off his defeat as a success, telling many: “This campaign is about contacting the democratic party, the future of this city and the future of this country.” He said 50% of New Yorkers did not vote for Mamdani’s agenda, and claimed his own campaign, which saw himself accused of racism and Islamophobia, was about “unity”.
Cuomo then addressed some misconceptions about Mamdani’s political positions, concluding: “We’re going down a dangerous, dangerous path.”
“We’re not going to make the NYPD the enemy,” Cuomo said. “We will not tolerate any behavior that fans the flames of antisemitism,” he added, returning to a familiar theme from his campaign.
After 10 minutes of Cuomo admitting that he was driving New York into a post-apocalyptic nightmare, the former governor was hardly surprised at the end of his opponent.
But Cuomo showed anger. Suddenly he adopted an air of consrition that was absent from his campaign.
“No, that’s not right, and that’s not us,” he told his supporters.
And yet.
Cuomo recently blasted radio host Mamdani for “rejoicing” in another 9/11 terrorist attack. In October, Cuomo was widely condemned after posting an anti-Mamdani AD that featured a slew of racist stereotypes. Cuomo branded Mamdani an “extremist”, and New York admitted he “cannot live” as mayor.
Maybe Cuomo meant it when he said “We don’t”. But when he exited New York politics, surely forever, the evidence was stacked against him.