NEW YORK (AP) — Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo seems to have opted in opposition to mounting an unbiased run for his previous job — not less than for now.
Cuomo, who resigned in August amid allegations he sexually harassed a number of girls, had stated he was open to working for governor this 12 months, regardless of the scandal.
However 5 p.m. Tuesday was the deadline for candidates to gather 45,000 voter signatures in the event that they needed to seem as an unbiased candidate for governor on the November common election poll.
That deadline handed with out Cuomo’s marketing campaign turning within the required nominating petitions, in response to the state Board of Elections.
Cuomo might nonetheless get on the poll if his marketing campaign had collected these signatures and put his petitions within the mail. If that paperwork was to reach by Thursday, bearing a postmark dated Tuesday or earlier, it might nonetheless rely, Board of Elections spokesperson Jennifer Wilson stated.
Cuomo’s spokesperson, Wealthy Azzopardi, didn't reply to requests for remark.
The previous governor has been making more public appearances in current months and suggested in March that he would possibly collect petition signatures to attempt to get on the poll.
After giving a speech about gun violence Sunday in Buffalo — a metropolis nonetheless reeling from a racist bloodbath at a grocery store — Cuomo didn't reply a query about whether or not he would run. As an alternative he stated he was “speaking as a New Yorker” that day and added: “I don’t have to worry about political correctness.”
Cuomo might nonetheless attempt to mount a long-shot marketing campaign as a write-in candidate in November, however he’d face a virtually unimaginable process of making an attempt to get hundreds of thousands of individuals to put in writing in his identify as an alternative of the Democratic or Republican nominee.
His former lieutenant governor, Kathy Hochul, took over as governor when he resigned in August. Hochul has promised a clear break from Cuomo’s administration. She has scooped up donors and emerged as a front-runner within the governor’s race. Hochul’s Democratic major opponents embody U.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi and New York Metropolis Public Advocate Jumaane Williams.
Cuomo stepped down in his third time period, saying on the time that whereas he denied the allegations of wrongdoing, he was stepping apart to keep away from subjecting the state to months of turmoil.
A sheriff in Albany filed felony prices in opposition to Cuomo in reference to an aide’s groping allegations, however these prices had been in the end dropped by the county’s district legal professional, who cited a scarcity of proof.
Cuomo had initially been contemplating working once more for a fourth time period and left workplace with hundreds of thousands in his marketing campaign fundraising account.
Since leaving, he’s used the cash partially to fund a series of political TV advertisements touting his document.
JOIN THE CONVERSATION
Conversations are opinions of our readers and are topic to the Code of Conduct. The Star doesn't endorse these opinions.
