Rev. Al Sharpton Calls For Cuomo To Drop Out Of NYC Mayoral Race

NEW YORK CITY — Rev. Al Sharpton is urging ex-governor Andrew Cuomo to drop out of the New York City mayoral race in November.

Sharpton made the comments on Wednesday during an appearance on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe" advising Cuomo to “look at what is best for the city.”

“I think, in the best interest of the legacy of Andrew Cuomo, that he ought to let them have the one-on-one race,” Sharpton said.

“He can endorse one or the other, and let them have a battle over what is best for New York.”

Sharpton has not made a formal endorsement in the mayor's race yet but hosted Zohran Mamdani at his National Action Network House of Justice last week.

In response to Sharpton's comments, Cuomo spokesperson Rich Azzopardi told multiple outlets, "everyone is entitled to their own political opinion."

"We understand President Trump supports Eric Adams, and do not believe socialism is the answer. Most New Yorkers are not Trumpers, and most New Yorkers are not socialists — the majority lies in the middle.”

According to Tuesday's ranked choice voting results, Mamdani beat Cuomo in the Democratic mayoral primary by 12 points after three rounds.

Last Friday, Cuomo decided to stay on the New York City mayoral ballot in November on the independent ballot line, Patch previously reported.

Cuomo decided to not withdraw from the independent ballot line he qualified for, called the "Fight and Deliver" line.

While Cuomo will appear on the independent ballot line in the general election, It is not known at this time if the former governor will actively campaign in the coming months.

In an interview with CBS 2 New York, the former governor maintained that he was keeping his options open.

"So I have that independent line. I qualified for that. And I'm on that line in November. And we're going to be looking at the numbers that come in from the primary. And then we have to look at the landscape in the general election, which is a totally different landscape."

Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa, Mayor Eric Adams and Jim Walden, who are both running as independents in the general election, will also appear on the ballot in November.