Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday initiated a major overhaul of his mayoral campaign staff, appointing a new campaign manager and adding pollsters and vendors in a last-ditch effort to close a double-digit gap with frontrunner Zohran Mamdani.
Cuomo named Greg Goldner, a Chicago political operative, as campaign manager. The campaign also hired pollster Cornell Belcher, tapped North Shore Strategies for field operations and retained Beacon Media to handle advertising, according to campaign announcements and reporting by The New York Times. The moves come with 56 days remaining until the election.
Campaign spokesman Rich Azzopardi described Goldner as "a tough-as-nails Chicago operative," saying he had seen "what happened when that city got into the grips of socialism with public safety grinding to a standstill." Azzopardi added that Goldner "moved halfway across the country to make sure it doesn't" happen in New York City.
The hires were first reported by The New York Times and formalize a series of changes aimed at boosting a campaign that has lagged in polls since Cuomo was defeated by Mamdani in the Democratic primary in June. Recent surveys show Cuomo trailing by roughly 22 points, with his support stuck in the mid-20s in repeated polls, according to campaign and media reports.
Goldner has a history of working in Chicago politics, including time with Rahm Emanuel, and was involved in creating a super PAC that sought to block progressive Brandon Johnson's rise in 2023; that effort was unsuccessful. Cornell Belcher is a veteran Democratic pollster who worked on Barack Obama's campaigns. North Shore Strategies and Beacon Media will be responsible for field and ad operations respectively as the campaign seeks to scale up voter contact and messaging ahead of the general election.
Cuomo's shake-up underscores the urgency inside his operation as he attempts to translate name recognition and campaign resources into voter support. Mamdani, who identifies as a democratic socialist, has consolidated support since the primary and emerged as the leading Democratic candidate for the citywide contest.
The campaign changes do not alter the calendar: with just under two months to go, the campaigns will be intensifying outreach, advertising and get-out-the-vote efforts. Both sides are expected to focus on issues such as public safety, housing and city services as they vie for votes in the coming weeks.
The Cuomo campaign did not immediately provide additional details on staffing changes beyond the announced hires. Mamdani's campaign declined immediate comment when contacted through campaign channels.