Andrew Cuomo

Andrew Mark Cuomo (/ˈkwoʊmoʊ/ KWOH-moh, Italian: [ˈkwɔːmo]; born December 6, 1957) is an American politician and lawyer who served as the 56th governor of New York from 2011 until his resignation in 2021. A member of the Democratic Party and son of former governor Mario Cuomo, Cuomo previously served as the 64th attorney general of New York from 2007 to 2010, and is currently running for mayor of New York City.

Born in Queens, New York City, Cuomo is a graduate of Fordham University and Albany Law School. He began his career working as the campaign manager for his father in the 1982 New York gubernatorial election. Later, Cuomo entered the private practice of law and chaired the New York City Homeless Commission from 1990 to 1993. Cuomo then served in the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development as assistant secretary from 1993 to 1997 and as secretary from 1997 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. Cuomo was elected New York attorney general in 2006, after a failed bid to win the Democratic primary in the 2002 New York gubernatorial election.

Cuomo won the 2010 Democratic primary for governor of New York and won the general election with over 60 percent of the vote. He was re-elected in 2014 and 2018. During his governorship, Cuomo signed legislation to legalize same-sex marriage, medical use of cannabis, and recreational use of cannabis. Cuomo's administration oversaw the construction of the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge, the Second Avenue Subway, the Moynihan Train Hall, and a reconstruction of LaGuardia Airport. He also decommissioned the Indian Point nuclear plant, which led to an uptick in greenhouse gas emissions. In response to the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting and the 2012 Webster shooting, Cuomo signed the NY SAFE Act of 2013, the strictest gun control law in the United States. He also delivered Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act; a 2011 tax code that raised taxes for the wealthy and lowered taxes for the middle class; 12-week paid family leave; and a gradual increase of the state's minimum wage to $15 per hour.

Cuomo received national attention for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in New York. Although he was initially lauded for his response, he faced criticism and federal investigation after an order requiring nursing homes to admit transfers from hospitals without testing for COVID-19 was blamed for a large number of nursing home deaths. The administration's subsequent actions were scrutinized in a number of reports and investigations. State attorney general Letitia James's January 2021 report found that the administration undercounted COVID-19-related deaths at nursing homes by as much as 50% and, in October 2024, a U.S. House of Representatives select subcommittee found evidence of Cuomo's involvement with a questionable report used to combat criticism. The Department of Justice has an open investigation into Cuomo's testimony on the matter as of May 2025.

Beginning in late 2020, Cuomo faced numerous allegations of sexual misconduct. A report from independent investigators commissioned by New York attorney general Letitia James found in August 2021 that Cuomo sexually harassed at least 11 women from 2013 through 2020 and retaliated against victims who made complaints about his conduct. However, James declined to file criminal charges against him.

Following the release of James' report, widespread calls were made for Cuomo's resignation, including from President Joe Biden. On August 23, 2021, in the midst of an impeachment investigation against him, Cuomo resigned from office and was succeeded by his lieutenant governor, Kathy Hochul. In his resignation speech, Cuomo admitted he "[had] been too familiar with people" and that he intended his behavior to be "endearing, but women found it dated and offensive." Despite acknowledging that his "sense of humor can be insensitive and off-putting" and that he "do[es] hug and kiss people casually," he denied classification of his actions as sexual harassment, nevertheless stating he "take[s] full responsibility for [his] actions." At the time of his resignation, he was the longest-serving incumbent governor in the United States.

After his resignation, criminal investigations from the district attorney offices for Manhattan, Nassau County, Westchester County, Albany County and Oswego County were closed without charges being filed.

On March 1, 2025, Cuomo announced his intention to run for mayor of New York City in 2025.