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Andrew Cuomo on Principles & Values

Democratic Governor

 


Mafia stigma is painful anti-Italian American stereotype

The mafia-stigma is one of the most painful and vicious of Anti-American stereotypes. I fought it all my life as my father had done before me. I speak about it often to the Italian-American community. The Godfather movies and the Sopranos all reinforce the stereotype of the Italian as the criminal or the thug. Some people repeat the stereotype out of ignorance. The Times Union in Albany published a column about Fredo [the character from The Godfather], for which they were unapologetic even after the Italian American organization publicly complained. Some people just don't appreciate how offensive stereotypes can be.
Source: American Crisis, by Andrew Cuomo, p.124 , Oct 13, 2020

Predicted Trump would lose, charge fraud, lose in court

I made a wager with my daughters that night. I often like to say to them, "I will bet you ten dollars," as a way to get their attention and excite their competitive edge. I said, "I see the future. Donald Trump is going to lose the election and claim voter fraud as the reason he lost, claiming the mail-in ballots were fraudulent and that the Post Office mishandled the mailings. Attorney General Barr will bring the lawsuit on behalf of the United States , and will go to the Supreme Court. Trump will believe the Supreme Court will side with him because he will have the support of his Court appointees. He will believe it will be a repeat of Bush v. Gore."
Source: American Crisis, by Andrew Cuomo, p.328 , Oct 13, 2020

Divorced; refused to get annulment delegitimizing children

I remember a service with my daughters at a church in Mount Kisco the Sunday after passing that law. The priest gave a homily about how reprehensible marriage equality was. We got up and left in the middle of the service. This is after we'd had to leave our previous church because the congregation gave us a hard time about being divorced. I also had refused to get an annulment that would have made my children illegitimate.
Source: American Crisis, by Andrew Cuomo, p.76 , Oct 13, 2020

Instinct is to be aggressive; I am a controlling personality

I know my strengths and weaknesses. I want to get things done and be judged by making a positive difference, and I can be obsessive in that pursuit. I have disdain for the shallowness and the duplicity of political theater and no longer want to hold my
Source: American Crisis, by Andrew Cuomo, p.13 , Oct 13, 2020

1982: ran father Mario Cuomo's gubernatorial campaign

As a teenager in Queens, New York, Cuomo put up posters to help his father, Democrat Mario Cuomo, campaign for state office. Andrew graduated from Fordham University in 1979, the year in which his father became New York lieutenant governor. After graduating from Albany Law School (J.D., 1982), he ran the campaign that made his father governor (1983--95). For the next two years Andrew worked as his father's senior advisor in Albany.
Source: Britannica Encyclopedia for Clinton Cabinet biographies , Dec 2, 2018

Committed to community and standing together

I believe in Robert Kennedy's spirit of brotherhood. That is my political philosophy. That is what this campaign has been about--bringing people together in community and sharing and helping.
Source: All Things Possible, by Andrew Cuomo, p. 10 , Oct 14, 2014

Liberals believe that government could solve all problems

It took the White House and Congress just a few months to establish monumental programs like Model Cities, Head Start, Medicare, and Medicaid, and the Job Corps, and to pass the Elementary and Secondary Education Act that gave federal money to public schools for the first time. Democrats and liberals had a bedrock belief in the idea that the government could correct even the most otherwise intractable problems. They passed laws and established initiatives to ban literary tests at the polls, wipe out rural poverty, and force integration. The gospel was that government could solve all.
Source: All Things Possible, by Andrew M. Cuomo, p. 18 , Oct 14, 2014

Committed to community and standing together

I believe in Robert Kennedy's spirit of brotherhood. That is my political philosophy. That is what this campaign has been about--bringing people together in community and sharing and helping.
Source: All Things Possible, by Andrew M. Cuomo, p. 10 , Oct 14, 2014

Practical experience trumps theory, no matter how visionary

I've realized that the best teacher isn't theory but practice. Yes, the vision can sound good on paper or in a speech. Yes, it can inspire. But a good theory does not automatically lead to a good policy. I saw then how dangerous it can be for politicians, Democrats or Republicans, to wage political arguments from on high, with little knowledge of the ultimate consequences of their actions and decisions--and I hold fast to the memory.
Source: All Things Possible, by Andrew M. Cuomo, p. 30 , Oct 14, 2014

OpEd: Primary challenge doubles the campaign donation limit

Though Zephyr Teachout's campaign can prove disruptive to Cuomo's early election season, it has one silver lining for the incumbent. Without a primary challenger, Cuomo would have to return a percentage of donations he received. With Teachout's entry, Cuomo will be able to accept maximum donations for both the primary and general election cycles
Source: Buzzfeed.com blog on 2014 New York State gubernatorial race , Jun 13, 2014

Five-point plan to build a New NY

    Andrew Cuomo's five-point plan to build a New NY.
  1. Clean Up Albany: We must restore honor and integrity to government.
  2. Get Our Fiscal House In Order:
  3. Immediately impose a cap on state spending and freeze salaries of public employees.
  4. Rightsizing Government: Government in NY is too big, ineffective, and expensive
  5. NY Works: We must make New York the jobs capital of the nation
  6. NY Leads: in protecting and advancing individual rights and safeguarding the future of its citizens.
Source: 2010 Gubernatorial campaign website, andrewcuomo.com , Nov 2, 2010

To win the argument, you must make one

Democrats lost elections in 2000 and 2002 because we were lost in time. We showed little understanding of the vast changes in the world and were unresponsive to the needs of the times. We expressed no clear vision for the future. We had become the party of fear instead the party of hope--spending more time warning what Republicans would take away rather than we did on what Democrats had to offer. To voters, we seemed bloodless, soulless, and clueless. It is not because we are a party devoid of ideas, passion, or soul but because we fooled ourselves into a political strategy of timidity. In the most recent election, Democrats feared appearing in stark contrast to a popular president and thereby failed to offer a competing vision of the future. "To win the argument you must make one."
Source: Crossroads, by Andrew Cuomo, p. 58-59 , Oct 14, 2003

Aggressive progressives: social/economic/racial justice

True Democrats are aggressive progressives. We challenge the status quo, norms, and biases. For Democrats, the ideal society is a purely just and compassionate society. Therefore, Democratic success means a country where no child sleeps in poverty, where there are no victims of discrimination, where everyone has clean, decent and affordable housing, where each child receives a high-quality public education, where there is a safety net for people who require assistance, and where the US is a respected beacon of democracy and freedom for every country on the globe. Of course, this is an idealistic and optimistic world-view. Therefore, the Democratic agenda is a call to arms. It is an ongoing struggle; it is a journey more than a destination.

To me, the essence of the Democratic philosophy is the concept of "justice" in the fullest sense: social justice, economic justice, and racial justice.

Source: Crossroads, by Andrew Cuomo, p. 62-63 , Oct 14, 2003

Other governors on Principles & Values: Andrew Cuomo on other issues:
NY Gubernatorial:
Andrew Giuliani
Andrew Yang
Bill de Blasio
Cynthia Nixon
Eric Adams
George Pataki
Howie Hawkins
John DeFrancisco
Kathy Hochul
Kirsten Gillibrand
Larry Sharpe
Lee Zeldin
Letitia James
Marc Molinaro
Mike Bloomberg
Rob Astorino
Shaun Donovan
Tom Suozzi
Zephyr Teachout
NY Senatorial:
Alex Merced
Charles Schumer
Chele Farley
Dave Webber
Kirsten Gillibrand
Marc Molinaro
Scott Noren
Wendy Long
Gubernatorial Debates 2021:
CA Recall:
S.D.Mayor Kevin_Faulconer(R)
vs.Former Gov. nominee John Cox(R)
vs.Former U.S.Rep Doug Ose(R)
vs.Laura Smith(R)
vs.Former Olympian Caitlyn Jenner(R)
vs.Radio Host Larry Elder(R)
vs.Kevin Paffrath(D)
vs.Gavin Newsom(D)
NJ: Incumbent Phil Murphy(D)
vs.State Rep. Jack Ciattarelli(R)
vs.Candidate Hirsh Singh(R)
vs.GOP Chair Doug Steinhardt(R)
VA: Incumbent Ralph Northam(D,term-limited)
vs.Former Governor Terry McAuliffe(D)
vs.CEO Glenn Youngkin(R)
vs.A.G. Mark Herring(D)
vs.State Sen. Amanda Chase(I)
vs.Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax(D)
vs.State Rep. Jennifer Carroll Foy(D)
vs.State Rep. Lee Carter(D)
vs.State Sen. Jennifer McClellan(D)
vs.State Rep. Kirk Cox(R)
vs.CEO Pete Snyder(R)

Gubernatorial Debates 2023:
KY: Incumbent Andy Beshear(D)
vs.Former Gov. Matt Bevin(? R)

vs.Senator Rand Paul(? R)
vs.State Auditor Mark Harmon(R)
LA: Incumbent John Bel Edwards(D,term-limited)
vs.Biden Adviser Cedric Richmond(? D)
vs.Senator John Neely Kennedy(? R)
MS: Incumbent Tate Reeves(R)
vs.Bill Waller(R)

Gubernatorial Debates 2022:
AK: Incumbent Mike Dunleavy(R)
vs.Bill Walker(I)
vs.Les Gara(D)
vs.Billy Toien(L)
AL: Incumbent Kay Ivey(R)
vs.Chris Countryman(D)
vs.Stacy Lee George(R)
vs.Ambassador Lynda Blanchard(R)
AR: Incumbent Asa Hutchinson(R,term-limited)
vs.Trump Adviser Sarah Huckabee Sanders(R)
vs.A.G. Leslie Rutledge(R,withdrew Nov.2021)
vs.Ricky Dale Harrington(L)
vs.Anthony Bland(D)
AZ: Incumbent Doug Ducey(R,term-limited)
Mayor Marco Lopez(D)
vs.Former news anchor Kari Lake(R)
vs.Secretary of State Katie Hobbs(D)
vs.State Treasurer Kimberly Yee(R)
vs.U.S.Rep.Matt Salmon(R)
vs.Steve Gaynor(R)
vs.State Rep.Aaron Lieberman(D)
vs.Jorge Rivas(R)
vs.Karrin Taylor Robson(R)
CA: Incumbent Gavin Newsom(D)
vs.S.D.Mayor Kevin_Faulconer(R)
vs.Former Gov. nominee John Cox(R)
vs.Kevin Paffrath(D)
CO: Incumbent Jared Polis(D)
vs.Mayor Greg Lopez(R)
vs.Heidi Ganahl(R)
CT: Incumbent Ned Lamont(D)
vs.Bob Stefanowski(? R)
FL: Incumbent Ron DeSantis(R)
vs.Former Gov.Charlie Crist(D)
vs.Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried(D)
vs.Annette Taddeo(D)
GA: Incumbent Brian Kemp(R)
vs.Minority Leader Stacey Abrams(D)
vs.Senate candidate Shane Hazel(L)
vs.State Rep.Vernon Jones(R)
vs.2020 candidate Kandiss Taylor(R)
vs.Senator David Perdue(R)
HI: Incumbent David Ige(D,term-limited)
vs.Marissa Kerns(R)
vs.Lt.Gov.Josh Green(D)
vs.Vicky Cayetano(D)
vs.Paul Morgan(R)
vs.State Rep.Kirk Caldwell(D)
IA: Incumbent Kim Reynolds(R)
vs.Deidre DeJear(D)
vs.State Rep.Ras Smith(D)
ID: Incumbent Brad Little(R)
vs.Raul Labrador(R)
vs.Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin(R)
vs.Ammon Bundy(R)
vs.Ed Humphreys(R)
IL: Incumbent J.B. Pritzker(D)
vs.State Sen.Darren Bailey(R)
vs.Paul Schimpf(R)
vs.Jesse Sullivan(R)
KS: Incumbent Laura Kelly(D)
vs.Jeff Colyer(R)
vs.State Sen.Derek Schmidt(R)
vs.Chase LaPorte(R) 		Gubernatorial Debates 2022 (continued):
MA: Incumbent Charlie Baker(R)
vs.Lt.Gov.Karyn Polito(R)
vs.State Rep. Geoff Diehl(R)
vs.Harvard Professor Danielle Allen(D)
vs.State Sen.Ben Downing(D)
vs.State Sen.Sonia Chang-Diaz(D)
vs.Shiva Ayyadurai(I)
MD: Incumbent Larry Hogan(R,term-limited)
vs.State Del.Robin Ficker(R) vs.State Del.Peter Franchot(D) vs.State Del.Kelly M. Schulz(R) vs.Secretary John B. King(D) vs.Ashwani Jain(D) vs.State A.G. Doug Gansler(D) vs.County Exec. Rushern Baker(D) vs.Secretary Thomas Perez(D) vs.Wes Moore(D) vs.Dan Cox(R)
ME: Incumbent Janet Mills(D)
vs.Former Gov. Paul LePage(R)
MI: Incumbent Gretchen Whitmer(D)
vs.Chief James Craig(R)
vs.Police Chief Tudor Dixon(R)
vs.Garrett Soldano(R)
vs.John E. James(? R)
MN: Incumbent Tim Walz(DFL)
vs.Mayor Mike Murphy(R)
vs.State Sen.Scott Jensen(R)
vs.Michelle Benson(R)
vs.Paul Gazelka(R)
NE: Incumbent Pete Ricketts(R,term-limited)
vs.U.S.Senator Bob Krist(R)
vs.Chuck Herbster(R)
vs.Jim Pillen(R)
vs.Brett Lindstrom(R)
vs.Carol Blood(D)
NH: Incumbent Chris Sununu(R)
vs.Dan Feltes(D)
vs.Karen Testerman(R)
NM: Incumbent Michelle Lujan Grisham(D)
vs.Commissioner Jay Block(R)
vs.State Rep.Rebecca Dow(R)
vs.Mark Ronchetti(R)
NV: Incumbent Steve Sisolak(D)
vs.A.G.Adam Laxalt(R)
vs.North Las Vegas Mayor John Lee(R)
vs.Dean Heller(R)
vs.Joe Lombardo(R)
vs.Mayor Michele Fiore(R)
NY: Incumbent Andrew Cuomo(D,resigned)
vs.Acting Gov.Kathy Hochul(D)
vs.Rob Astorino(R)
vs.Andrew Giuliani(R)
vs.US.Rep.Lee Zeldin(R)
vs.Tom Suozzi(D)
vs.Attorney General Letitia James(D)
OH: Incumbent Mike DeWine(R)
vs.Former Rep.Jim Renacci(R)
vs.Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley(D)
vs.Mayor John Cranley(D)
OK: Incumbent Kevin Stitt(R)
vs.State Sen. Ervin Yen(R)
vs.Connie Johnson(D)
vs.Joy Hofmeister(D)
OR: Incumbent Kate Brown(D,term-limited)
vs.Gov. nominee Bud Pierce(R)
vs.Paul Romero(R)
vs.Casey Kulla(D)
vs.Kerry McQuisten(R)
vs.Tina Kotek(D)
vs.Nicholas Kristof(D)
vs.Tobias Read(D)
PA: Incumbent Tom Wolf(D,term-limited)
vs.U.S.Rep. Lou Barletta(R)
vs.Commissioner Joe Gale(R)
vs.A.G.Josh Shapiro(D)
vs.William McSwain(R)
vs.U.S.Rep.Melissa Hart(R)
vs.State Sen.Scott Martin(R)
RI: Incumbent Gina Raimondo(D,to Cabinet)
vs.Gov. Dan McKee(D)
vs.Secy.Matt Brown(D)
vs.Mayor Allan Fung(R ?)
vs.Luis-Daniel Munoz(D)
vs.RI Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea(D)
vs.Seth Magainer(D)
vs.Helena Foulkes(D)
SC: Incumbent Henry McMaster(R)
vs.US.Rep.Joe Cunningham(D)
vs.State senator Mia McLeod(D)
SD: Incumbent Kristi Noem(R)
vs.State Rep. Billie Sutton(? D)
TN: Incumbent Bill Lee(R)
vs.Carnita Atwater(D)
vs.J B Smiley(D)
TX: Incumbent Greg Abbott(R)
vs.Beto O`Rourke(D)
vs.Chad Prather(R)
vs.State Sen.Don Huffines(R)
vs.U.S.Rep. Allen West(R)
vs.Deidre Gilbert(D)
VT: Incumbent Phil Scott(R)
(no prospective opponents yet)
WI: Incumbent Tony Evers(D)
vs.CEO Jonathan Wichmann(R)
vs.Rebecca Kleefisch(R)
WY: Incumbent Mark Gordon(R)
vs.Rex Rammell(R)
vs.Minority Leader Chris Rothfuss(? D) 		Abortion
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Page last updated: Dec 31, 2021