Mayor Bill de Blasio has been talking to his inner circle and his union allies about the gubernatorial candidacy and sources say he is increasingly confident he can win.
“I fell out of my chair laughing, honestly you’re thinking about it,” a former senior advisor said. “Because of all this Cuomo, he feels bold.”
Hizzoner played poorly all week when asked if he was watching his opponent’s work. “The future will be taken care of,” he said, smiling, when a reporter posed the question Thursday.
Public comments are not only meant to overwhelm Governor Cuomo, but behind closed doors Blasio is speaking openly with advisers about his opposition to the 2022 Democratic primary, several experts reported. De Blasio has a limited term and leaves office later this year, while Cuomo may run for re-election to a fourth term in November 2022.
Discussions come as Cuomo faces two increasingly comprehensive investigations: a state attorney general’s investigation into allegations of sexual harassment of at least three women and a federal investigation into the alleged cover-up of the death of old people’s homes related to the COVID of its administration.
With Cuomo’s blood in the water, the mayor’s team has targeted large unions to gauge support, including District 37 Council, which represents public employees; the Local Health Workers Union 1199 SEIU; and the 32BJ Local SEIU, which represents building workers ’representatives, sources said.
“He’s calling his working friends,” one agent said. “She is OK. I don’t think it matters what, even if the governor is running for a fourth term, Blasio will prioritize him. “
Bill Neidhardt, Blasio’s press secretary, said: “As reported a few weeks ago, the mayor has ongoing talks with friends of the labor movement about the future of progressive politics in New York City.”
De Blasio believes his own image is recovering from its lowest point last year, when he played to burst against Cuomo when the governor’s popularity peaked during the early stages of the pandemic.
“The more you talk about it, the more it feels like, ‘Maybe it’s not such a crazy idea … maybe I have a shot,'” the former chief executive said of a government career. “The way I’ve been described is that’s like talking about it. “
A former Albany expert said conversations about “Blasio for governor” are gaining momentum.
“I’ve heard it was posed in a more than joking way,” the source said. “It simply came to our notice then. He is a boy with a huge ego, an inflated sense of his importance. He is someone who ran for president, although it was clear that he would never gain strength.
A current City official said they expected Blasio to be put into operation.
“He ran for president. It fits a pattern of illusion of greatness, “the source said.” Sure he would love to be a political commentator, but if there is a way to run for an elected office, he will follow suit. “
Democratic Democratic candidates claimed the offer would be as big as their failed 2020 presidency.
“It’s amazing that after all this time he thinks he could be elected in New York,” said Karen Hinton, a former press secretary for De Blasio and Cuomo. “I don’t try to get anything out of his successes (I think he’s had a lot of them), but the New Yorkers of great importance don’t particularly like him, and I find it hard to imagine that he can reform and be elected. That’s hard, but I just think it’s obvious ”.
Hinton said he anticipates the transition to a nonprofit organization, or teaching or commenting.
A second former adviser agreed: “I thought it would take a significant amount of rest time and regroup and think about what I wanted to do next … I imagined that I would do some political studies and teach one or two university courses. “But he has said publicly recently that he will not go to the private sector, so who knows.”
Sources said de Blasio could face a stronger enemy than Cuomo if he seeks the governor’s mansion.
If Attorney General Letitia James “decides to run, she will have the support of the Brooklyn Democrats,” said a party source, who noted that James began his political career in New York as a Brooklyn councilor.
Blasio is also unlikely to gain the support of the Democratic Party’s powerful progressive wing over James.
“She is African American, she is a woman, everyone who favors her. He really likes the left, ”said Albany’s informant.
A third former Blasio agent said his former boss “has a shot” at “a weakened Cuomo … but if he runs in an open field against Letitia James, [Long Island Rep.] Kathleen Rice and others will probably not have a chance.
Former De Blasio press secretary Eric Phillips said he has not held any recent discussions with the mayor about government aspirations, but defended his former chief’s record.
“There’s no doubt that it was fashionable to dislike Blasio’s Bill in July, but when you look at the result, your newsletter will be very good,” Phillips said.
“I don’t think the mayor is good at theater. It’s never been … Andrew Cuomo is tremendous in theater. “
In July, de Blasio’s approval rating stood at 40%, while Cuomo was 73% popular, according to a Manhattan Institute poll.
The governor’s position has fallen since then. A new University of Quinnipiac poll found that 45 percent of New Yorkers approve of Cuomo’s work, while 46 percent disapprove of it.
But a strategist warned those betting on a fourth term for Cuomo.
“Don’t underestimate Andrew Cuomo,” he said. “I don’t think it’s as finished as some people say. He still has a chance to redeem himself. “