Monday, February 23, 2026

Far-Left Mamdani Passes Ex-Gov Cuomo in NYC Mayoral Primary.

PULSE POINTS

âť“WHAT HAPPENED: A new poll shows Zohran Mamdani and Andrew Cuomo neck-and-neck in New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary. However, that city’s ranked-choice voting system would give Mamdani a slight lead over the former Democrat governor.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Zohran Mamdani, Andrew Cuomo, and other candidates, including Brad Lander, Adrienne Adams, and Scott Stringer.

📍WHEN & WHERE: New York City, with the voting period beginning on June 14 and ending on June 24.

đź’¬KEY QUOTE: “Donald Trump ran for President promising to end wars, not start new ones,” said the political progressive, Zohran Mamdani, over the weekend, attempting to nationalize further the mayoral race.

🎯IMPACT: The race highlights the tension between centrist and progressive factions within the Democratic Party.

IN FULL

Zohran Mamdani, a 33-year-old far-left New York assemblyman, is now statistically tied with former governor Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary for mayor of New York City, according to a new poll conducted by Emerson College Polling/PIX11/The Hill. While the poll shows Cuomo leading Mamdani 35 percent to 32 percent in first-choice votes, within the margin of error, under the ranked-choice voting system, Mamdani emerged with 52 percent of the vote after the final round, compared to Cuomo’s 48 percent. Ranked-choice voting allows voters to select up to five candidates in order of preference, redistributing votes from eliminated candidates until one surpasses 50 percent.

Notably, the race does not include current Democratic mayor Eric Adams, who is running as an independent following a fundraising scandal. Other candidates in the primary include comptroller Brad Lander, city council speaker Adrienne Adams, and former comptroller Scott Stringer. Meanwhile, Anthony Weiner, a former Democrat congressman who resigned after sending sexually explicit photos of himself to several people—including a minor—is running for city council.

Cuomo, backed by high-profile figures such as Mike Bloomberg, Bill Clinton, and Jim Clyburn, has faced criticism for past sexual harassment allegations and his management of the coronavirus pandemic as state governor. Mamdani, endorsed by political far-left progressives like Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), has faced accusations of anti-Semitism over his use of the phrase “globalize the intifada.” Mamdani has dismissed these accusations as deliberate misinterpretations of his stance on Palestinians.

The race has also been influenced by international events, with Mamdani criticizing recent U.S. military action in Iran, calling it a “dark new chapter” and declaring, “Donald Trump ran for president promising to end wars, not start new ones.”

Cuomo, in contrast, emphasized the importance of preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear capability, stating, “It’s dangerous, not only for the region, it’s dangerous internationally. It’s dangerous for the United States.”

Image by Bingjiefu He.

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DOJ Investigating Andrew Cuomo for Lying to Congress About Covid.

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❓What Happened: The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has launched a criminal probe into former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo for allegedly lying to Congress about his COVID-19 pandemic decisions.

👥 Who’s Involved: Former Governor Andrew Cuomo, the U.S. Department of Justice, the House Oversight Committee, and New York City Mayor Eric Adams.

📍 Where & When: The U.S. Attorney’s office in Washington, D.C initiated the investigation about a month ago.

💬 Key Quote: Cuomo spokesman Rich Azzopardi stated, “This is lawfare and election interference plain and simple.”

⚠️ Impact: The case could affect Cuomo’s bid to return to frontline politics in the New York City Democratic mayoral primary.

IN FULL:

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has opened a criminal investigation into former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo over allegations that he misled Congress about his administration’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. The inquiry, launched by the U.S. Attorney’s office in Washington, D.C., reportedly began a month ago.

The investigation follows a recommendation by House Republicans, who accused Cuomo of providing false statements during a congressional probe into nursing home deaths in New York. In March 2020, Cuomo’s administration issued a directive requiring nursing homes to accept COVID-19-positive patients, a move critics argue exacerbated outbreaks and led to thousands of deaths. Cuomo later rescinded the directive amid backlash.

A 2022 report by the New York state comptroller revealed that the state health department under Cuomo understated nursing home fatalities by as much as 50 percent at certain points during the pandemic.

Rich Azzopardi, a spokesman for Cuomo, described the investigation as politically motivated, stating, “This is lawfare and election interference plain and simple.” Cuomo is attempting a political comeback, campaigning in the Democratic primary for New York City mayor.

Cuomo’s main rival, current Mayor Eric Adams, is seeking re-election as an independent candidate. Notably, senior DOJ officials recently dismissed corruption charges against Adams.

House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer (R-KY) has been vocal in his criticism of Cuomo, calling the alleged falsehoods a “calculated cover-up” and emphasizing that lying to Congress is a federal crime. Comer pledged full cooperation with the DOJ’s investigation, stating, “This wasn’t a slip-up—it was a calculated cover-up by a man seeking to shield himself from responsibility.”

Image by Delta News Hub/ Chris Rank for Rank Studios.

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Former NY Gov Cuomo Leads NYC Mayoral Race by Double Digits.

PULSE POINTS:

❓What Happened: Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo leads the Democratic primary for New York City mayor, according to a Marist College poll, despite financial and reputational challenges.

👥 Who’s Involved: Andrew Cuomo, Zohran Mamdani, Adrienne Adams, Brad Lander, Eric Adams, and the New York City Campaign Finance Board.

📍 Where & When: New York City; poll and campaign developments reported in 2025.

đź’¬ Key Quote: “I’m in the race to the end. I’m not running on the Democratic line,” said Eric Adams, the incumbent mayor running as an independent.

⚠️ Impact: Cuomo’s campaign struggles with funding issues could make it difficult to maintain his strong polling lead.

IN FULL:

Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has emerged as the frontrunner in the Democratic primary race for New York City mayor, according to a Marist College poll obtained by POLITICO. Cuomo holds a commanding 44 percent lead in the first round of ranked-choice voting, with his closest rival, Zohran Mamdani, trailing at 22 percent. The survey indicates Cuomo’s double-digit advantage persists across all six voting rounds, with a 20-24 percent margin over Mamdani.

Despite his polling strength, Cuomo’s campaign has encountered significant financial hurdles. The New York City Campaign Finance Board (NYCCFB) denied him nearly $3 million in matching funds, citing errors in at least 20 percent of his required financial disclosures. The board further stated that Cuomo’s campaign failed to meet its two-part contribution threshold, which requires donations from at least 1,000 individuals and a total of $250,000 in contributions. Cuomo’s team attributed the denial to a “technical software error.”

Earlier this week, Cuomo’s campaign faced another setback when the NYCCFB withheld $622,000 in matching funds over allegations of coordination with a super PAC.

The crowded primary field features only two other candidates polling in double digits: City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and City Comptroller Brad Lander. According to the Marist poll, Adams was eliminated in the fourth round of voting and Lander in the fifth. Other candidates failed to gain traction, with most eliminated by the third round.

Cuomo’s opponents have criticized him for controversies surrounding his resignation in 2021 and his handling of COVID-19, including allegations related to nursing home deaths. Current Mayor Eric Adams, running for re-election as an independent, has called for Cuomo to address these issues but says they “should not be an automatic disqualification.”

Mayor Adams, who won the 2021 election in the eighth round of ranked-choice voting, confirmed in April that he would not seek the Democratic nomination, stating, “It’s just not realistic to turn around my numbers and to run a good campaign (from) where we are right now.”

Image by Delta News Hub/ Chris Rank for Rank Studios.

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NYC Mayor Eric Adams Ditches Democrats, Will Seek Reelection as an Independent.

PULSE POINTS:

❓What Happened: New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced his intention to seek reelection as an independent candidate.

👥 Who’s Involved: Eric Adams, currently serving as mayor; Former Governor Andrew Cuomo, who is also running for mayor.

📍 Where & When: The announcement was made during an interview with POLITICO, published on Thursday.

đź’¬ Key Quote: Adams stated, “I’m in the race to the end… I’m not running on the Democratic line.”

⚠️ Impact: This decision signifies a shift in political strategy following the recent dropping of bribery charges against him.

IN FULL:

New York City Mayor Eric Adams has revealed his intention to run for reelection as an independent candidate, marking a significant shift in his political strategy. This announcement came during an interview with POLITICO, published Thursday. Adams’s departure from the Democratic Party and the launch of his independent bid for reelection comes on the heels of federal prosecutors deciding to drop all bribery and related charges against the New York City Mayor.

“I have been this racehorse that has been held back. This is so unnatural for me,” Adams said on Thursday. He continued: “I’m in the race to the end. I’m not running on the Democratic line. It’s just not realistic to turn around my numbers and to run a good campaign (from) where we are right now.”

In September, Adams faced allegations of accepting illegal campaign contributions from the Turkish government, leading to federal bribery, conspiracy, and campaign finance charges. He pleaded not guilty to all counts. However, earlier this year, the Department of Justice (DOJ) moved to dismiss the corruption charges, which were officially dropped on Wednesday after a federal judge approved the government’s dismissal motion. Adams expressed feeling “handcuffed” by the legal proceedings.

A recent survey conducted by Quinnipac University showed Adams with just a 20 percent approval rating among New Yorkers, suggesting his independent bid will face serious headwinds heading into the November election. Adams has already drawn a serious challenger in the mayoral race, with former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo also entering.

Over three million New York City residents are registered Democrats, and another 1.1 million identify as independents, while just 558,778 are registered as Republicans. However, a crowded Democrat primary field could result in a far-left candidate like Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani narrowly edging out a win, which Adams’s allies believe would be the best-case scenario for his independent reelection bid.

Image by Anthony Quintano.

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Top Democrat Aide Arrested as Agent of Communist China.

A former deputy chief of staff for Governor Kathy Hochul (D-NY) has been arrested by federal law enforcement for acting as an unregistered foreign agent on behalf of the People’s Republic of China and accepting kickbacks from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Linda Sun and her husband, Chris Hu, were taken into custody early Tuesday morning after a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) raid on their multi-million dollar Long Island residence.

The Democrat aide worked as an Asian-American affairs liaison under former Governor Andrew Cuomo (D-NY) before being elevated to deputy chief of staff under Hochul. Sun was later transferred to the state’s Department of Labor, where she was fired earlier this year over undisclosed “misconduct” allegations.

According to the now unsealed 64-page federal indictment, Sun and Hu coordinated efforts to advance the interests of the CCP in New York. The ex-aide to the Democratic governor is accused of blocking attempts by the Taiwanese government to meet with Hochul and editing the statements of undisclosed state leaders to be more friendly towards Communist China.

“The defendant and her husband actually worked to further the interests of the Chinese government and the CCP,” U.S. Attorney Breon Peace said in a statement following the unsealing of the indictment. “The illicit scheme enriched the defendant’s family to the tune of millions of dollars.”

Federal prosecutors allege that Sun and Hu took millions of dollars in payments from the Chinese Communist regime in exchange for aiding the foreign influence operation. Some of the money taken by the couple was used in the purchase of their $4.1 million Long Island, New York home.

Sun is a close ally of Congresswoman Grace Meng (D-NY). She is the latest Democrat to be arrested in connection to a foreign influence scheme.

Image via Wikimedia Commons.

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A former deputy chief of staff for Governor Kathy Hochul (D-NY) has been arrested by federal law enforcement for acting as an unregistered foreign agent on behalf of the People's Republic of China and accepting kickbacks from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Linda Sun and her husband, Chris Hu, were taken into custody early Tuesday morning after a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) raid on their multi-million dollar Long Island residence. show more

WATCH: Chris Cuomo ‘Open’ To Trump 2024 Vote.

Former CNN news anchor Chris Cuomo has indicated that he would be open to voting for former President Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election, seemingly reversing his previous hardline never-Trump position.

Cuomo, who was sacked by CNN in 2021 after he supposedly assisted his brother, the former Governor of New York Andrew Cuomo, in fighting sexual misconduct accusations, made the remarks during an interview with the PBD podcast earlier this week.

“We survived a Trump administration, would we survive another one? Yes, yes. I don’t think there’s any greater risk to America with him than with Biden… the data is the data. Nobody was trying to kill us when Trump was President in a way that they’re not now. If anything, there’s more hostility,” Cuomo stated.

He was then asked whether he would consider voting for the 45th President by podcast host Patrick Bet-David, to which he responded, “I am always open. And I’ll tell you this, people say, ‘Oh, bullsh*t. You’ve never voted for Republican in your life.’ Wrong. And not only have I, the first vote I ever cast was for a Republican.”

Cuomo’s admission comes just days after Donald Trump registered his largest ever lead over Joe Biden, holding 2.6-point lead over the incumbent President.

WATCH:

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Former CNN news anchor Chris Cuomo has indicated that he would be open to voting for former President Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election, seemingly reversing his previous hardline never-Trump position. show more