Andrew Cuomo admits he regrets decision to resign as New York governor
"Sometimes I took everything too seriously," Cuomo told reporters on Tuesday
LOWER MANHATTAN, New York (WABC) -- In a blockbuster admission Tuesday from Andrew Cuomo, the former governor said he regrets his resignation nearly four years ago after allegations of sex harassment among women working for the state.
Cuomo told the New York Times that staying in office rather than resigning would have been better for the state of New York.
"You know, sometimes I took everything too seriously," Cuomo said.
On the campaign trail, Cuomo has told reporters he doesn't regret much of anything, but there is one big one.
It goes back to 2021 when the former governor resigned in disgrace, amid accusations of sexual harassment from multiple women, including members of his own staff.
Although Cuomo denied the allegations, he apologized for being insensitive.
"If I had to do it again, I wouldn't have resigned," he told The New York Times. "At the time, I thought it would have been too much of a distraction and hurt the great functioning of government, which was going to go build great things and do great things."
Cuomo has racked up a series of major union endorsements in tightly controlled rallies and is the frontrunner in the race.
For the past several weeks, he has portrayed New York as a city in crisis. His latest ad strikes a more positive note, with the phase, "So let's rise together."
It's a swipe against Mayor Eric Adams.
The mayor cited falling crime statistics, then blamed Cuomo's policies, like bail reform.
"I had to correct what he put in-place," Adams said. "And now he reached the point that, I mean, he will say any and everything to get elected."
Cuomo also admitted to The Times that, until recently, he had not lived in New York City since 1990.
Brad Lander's campaign says that "explains why the wannabe Mayor of the Big Apple is so out of touch with modern New Yorkers."
Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani is polling second in the race.
"He seems to be afraid of the city. He spends his time between his car and his $8,000 a month apartment in Midtown," Mamdani said. "And we don't ever know when we're going to see him other than when it's legally required of him to be present."
The Democratic candidates will have their first chance to confront Cuomo on the debate stage Wednesday night, with the primary barely three weeks away.
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