Ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo won Wednesday night’s Democratic mayoral primary debate — because his opponents’ relentless attacks did more to elevate him than drag him down, a Post panel of veteran campaign strategists said.
The thrice-elected Democrat took some gut punches, but there was no knockout blow or major blunder on his part, the political analysts on both sides of the aisle said.
“I tuned in to see a mayoral debate, not a debate about Andrew Cuomo,” quipped campaign strategist Ken Frydman of the nine-person debate moderated by NBC 4 NY and Politico.
“By making Andrew the debate, they elevated him,” said Frydman.
Because Cuomo was constantly under fire, he got more air time to respond to each jab and by default dominated the more than two hour debate, the political experts said.
“Everyone tried to land a punch on Andrew Cuomo, but failed,” said campaign strategist O’ Brien “OB” Murray.
“The first 20 minutes gave Cuomo the center stage, literally and figuratively,” he said, referring to the ex-gov’s position in the middle of the group of candidates standing on the dais at 30 Rockefeller Center.
“He handled the attacks and was able to deflect. They actually gave him more airtime than they should have,” Murray said.
Republican campaign strategist Bill O’Reilly said the verbal pummeling Cuomo received from most of his eight primary rivals does not alter his status as the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination.
“It was Andrew Cuomo vs. the Lilliputians, and the Lilliputians fell short. That’s the bottom line,” O’Reilly said.
“Someone needed to trip up the former governor to slow his momentum, but it was clear from the jump that wouldn’t happen. Cuomo hasn’t lost a step since leaving Albany, and the field lacked the skill to crack him.”
Cuomo also counter-attacked, taking shots at his biggest threats in the polls — 33-year-old Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani, a state Assembly member from Queens, and City Comptroller Brad Lander.
The former governor delivered the best line when he said” “[President] Trump would go through Mamdani like a knife through butter,” O’Reilly noted.
Frydman said the candidates and moderators did force Cuomo to squirm to defend his record as governor, including his controversial nursing home policy during the COVID-19 pandemic and his approval of the unpopular 2019 bail reforms.
They also tried to make him answer for the spate of sexual misconduct accusations leveled against him — that he denied, but that forced his resignation in 2021.
Some of the other candidates had “break out moments” — including former Bronx Assemblyman Michael Blake, City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and Mamdani, said political advisor Yvette Buckner.
“That will have voters wanting to learn more about them, their policies and their candidacy,” she said.
Frydman, too, said Adams’ performance “moved the needle” for her campaign, which has been slow to gain momentum despite support from state Attorney General Letitia James.
“She introduced herself to Democratic voters well enough on substance to move up in ranked-choice voting,” he said.
But Cuomo’s comfortable lead over second place Mamdani in recent polls should hold, Frydman said.
O’Reilly agreed, but said Mamdani remains Cuomo’s “greatest threat” for the nomination in the June 24 primary.
Two of the panelists agreed that Lander is competent, but his persona didn’t translate on TV.
“He oozes insincerity in a car-salesman-type way,” O’Reilly said.
But he said Brooklyn state Sen. Zellnor Myrie’s sincerity came across “easily,” calling him a rising star in the Democratic Party.
Murray concurred, saying Lander has a “stage presence for radio and a delivery for print. He confirmed why he has his wife and daughter on videos, instead of himself.”
Another candidate, former City Comptroller Scott Stringer who previously ran for mayor in 2021, didn’t break through, the panelists said.
“Stringer was Stringer — flat and after a second run for mayor still didn’t connect to voters,” Murray said.
All but two of the Democratic contenders will debate again on June 12, save for Blake and state Sen. Jessica Ramos, who failed to meet the campaign funding threshold.
Nine days of early voting will precede the primary, beginning on June 14.
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