Clueless and "Very Rich" Cuomo Calls on ‘Very Rich’ Mamdani to Move Out of Rent-Stabilized Apartment

Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo slammed Big Apple mayoral opponent Zohran Mamdani Friday for living in a rent-stabilized apartment, despite being "very rich."

via: NYMag

While the rhetoric in the city’s mayoral race has become more heated as November draws closer, things took an even more personal turn this week. On Friday, Andrew Cuomo slammed Zohran Mamdani for living in a rent-stabilized apartment, invoking both his wife and parents and suggesting his choice to remain in that apartment is causing someone else to be homeless.

“Somewhere last night in New York City, a single mother and her children slept at a homeless shelter because you, assemblyman @ZohranKMamdani are occupying her rent controlled apartment,” Cuomo said in the lengthy post.

The former governor claimed the assemblymember “grew up rich,” an apparent reference to his parents, a film director and a Columbia University professor, and said that Mamdani went on to marry “an even wealthier woman.” Cuomo then knocked Mamdani for traveling to his home country of Uganda to celebrate his recent marriage and cited his publicly reported $142,000 salary as a lawmaker. “No matter which way you cut it: Zohran Mamdani is a rich person. You are actually very rich.”

He continued, “We are in the middle of a historic affordability crisis. Millions of low income New Yorkers need this apartment and an apartment like it. Yet your apartment remains rented to rich people who don’t need it. Today, I am calling on you to move out immediately and give your affordable housing back to an unhoused family who need it. Leaders must show moral clarity. Time to move out.”

The Mamdani campaign fired back at Cuomo’s missive in a statement. “Andrew Cuomo isn’t just working with Donald Trump — he’s becoming him. Ranting to reporters, firing off unhinged social media posts, lodging personal attacks — all to avoid talking about the corruption, sexual harassment, and abuse of power that drove him from office. The only thing missing is a red hat,” campaign spokesperson Dora Pekec said.

Mamdani has been open about his living situation, telling moderators at a primary debate that he paid $2,300 a month for his one-bedroom apartment. In that same debate, Cuomo said that he pays about $7,800 for rent.

In a February interview with the New York Editorial Board, a group of veteran local journalists, Mamdani said he first found the listing for his apartment on StreetEasy back when he was making $47,000 a year working as a foreclosure-prevention housing counselor.

Mamdani told the group that he ultimately plans to move out of his Astoria home. “In that time since, I’ve become an assemblymember and I’m now able to pay for that apartment and able to also move out of that apartment and I plan on doing so. I don’t plan on living in that apartment for perpetuity,” he said.

The former governor’s post was boosted by Shaun Maguire, a partner at Sequoia Capital who came under fire last month for offensive comments against Mamdani. “It’s good to see you fighting,” he wrote. By contrast, City Council member Chi Ossé, a supporter of Mamdani, responded, “Zohran will move from Astoria to Gracie Mansion on January 1, about two months after you move back to the suburbs.”

Cuomo’s post appears part of a recent shift in social-media strategy for his campaign as the former governor’s X account has rattled off a constant series of posts aimed at Mamdani in increasingly personal tones, a likely attempt to make a play at the front-runner’s success online.

But it’s not yet clear that the gambit will pay off. On Wednesday, Cuomo reshared a debate clip where he claimed President Trump would go through Mamdani like “a hot knife through butter,” a message that got 434 likes. Mamdani rebutted in his own post on Friday, sharing a New York Times article reporting on Cuomo allegedly telling business leaders he “doesn’t want to fight” with Trump. Mamdani’s response of a knife emoji and a butter emoji received 5,700 likes.

*****

The more Cuomo tries every attempt to come for Mamdani, the more pathetic he starts to look. Of all the things he tries to read him for, it's wanting him to move out of his rent stabilized apartment? One of the many reasons the younger generation came out to vote for Zohran (especially when Cuomo underestimated the youth expecting them to stay home as usual while depending on the over 45 crowd to make him a shoo-in for the primaries) is because they are struggling to keep their head above water.

Everything especially the rent is extremely high in New York, and the one thing that hasn't gone up is the work wages.

Cuomo, who is also wealthy has taken millions from corporate donors, and the smear campaign he's on against Zohran (who is surging miles ahead in the polls against Andrew and the even more pathetic Eric Adams) just goes to show how completely out of touch he is with New Yorkers and our basic needs.

I also find it quite hilarious that Andrew gives a damn about this so-called mother and her child who had to stay in a shelter while Zohran sleeps in a rent-stabilized apartment that Andrew claims is rightfully hers. With all the buildings being built all around the five boroughs, are there no other vacant aparements you could put her in?

Homeless families who are staying in shelters have a faster chance of securing a rent-stabilized apartment before someone with no kids. If only Andrew cared as much about all those elderly people who died on his watch during Covid at the nursing homes as much as he pretends to care about families in homeless shelters.

Does Andrew even have a plan regarding tackling our housing crisis? I personally don't care, especially after The New York Apartment Association poured $2.5 million of their own money to back him out of spite aginst Zohran, who plans on taking on the corrupt housing market.

I don't know if Zohran will be able to accomplish all of the things he wants to do when he wins. What I do know is that I'm tired of New York City being a playground for the wealthy while the rest of us who love the energy and culture of NYC struggle to survive in the concrete jungle. And NYers are ready for something new.

Also, the comment he made about Uganda was tired. Zohran was born in Uganda, and what Cuomo said is your typical dog whistle that if you have a wedding or even visit a place that's against the queer community then that makes you homophobic.

That's the same Zionist talking point used against queer people who are against the genocide of Palestinians. They will go off and say "they throw gay people off buildings." What that says is that they are all a monolith and believe the same thing. Just because some are homophobic doesn't give others the right to lump them all under one umbrella. Heck, there's homophobia in the US.

Andrew is beyond pathetic at this point, and it's just sad to watch a power-hungry loser grasp at so many straws for political power, and the NY people who continue to see through the BS.

I don't care how many millions your donors pour into your campaign. Real sensible New Yorkers DO NOT WANT Andrew Cuomo as the mayor.