Andrew Cuomo, Chaos Candidate

How a man with nothing to lose can exact revenge

Photo: Getty Images

The odds of Andrew Cuomo, the disgraced former governor of New York, getting elected to anything again remain remote. One poll showed him within striking distance of Kathy Hochul, but it’s important to remember Hochul will have much more money than him and the support of the entire Democratic establishment. Cuomo has only won gubernatorial races when he’s been able to heavily outspend rivals and command the backing of major labor unions. Every single union and PAC will rally behind Hochul in the event Cuomo decides to challenge her in a Democratic primary. Petitioning is underway and getting on the ballot statewide in less than three weeks will be a challenge for Cuomo. It is doable, though: when Eliot Spitzer ran for city comptroller in 2013, he gathered nearly 30,000 signatures in four days, more than enough to make the ballot.

Will Cuomo campaign as a Democrat against Hochul? He’s running ads and visiting churches, so anything is possible. Cuomo’s comeback attempt is, in many ways, heinous, but he can’t be dismissed as a political creature. He governed for 11 years, amassed some popularity, and has more than $10 million left in his campaign account. He won’t be able to raise much more but it’s enough for a final, viable statewide primary campaign.

There’s another option for Cuomo too. An even darker path to take.