Early political career Mario Cuomo

1 political career

1.1 new york secretary of state
1.2 new york city mayoral election
1.3 new york lieutenant governor

early political career

cuomo first became known in new york city in late 1960s when represented corona fighting 69 , group of 69 home-owners queens neighborhood of corona, threatened displacement city s plan build new high school. later represented queens residents group, kew gardens–forest hills committee on urban scale, opposed samuel j. lefrak s housing proposal adjacent willow lake in queens. in 1972, cuomo became known beyond new york city when mayor john lindsay appointed him conduct inquiry , mediate dispute on low-income public housing slated upper-middle-class neighborhood of forest hills. cuomo described experience in dispute in book forest hills diary, , story retold sociologist richard sennett in fall of public man.

new york secretary of state

in 1974, ran lieutenant governor of new york on ticket headed gubernatorial candidate howard j. samuels, , both won designation of democratic state committee @ party convention. entire ticket, including nominees attorney general , u.s. senator, defeated in democratic primary election: samuels rep. hugh carey of brooklyn, , cuomo state senator mary anne krupsak, first woman nominated statewide office in new york. after carey , krupsak elected, new governor appointed cuomo secretary of state of new york in january 1975.

new york city mayoral election

two years later, cuomo ran mayor of new york city @ carey s urging. incumbent mayor abraham beame unpopular , cuomo 1 of 5 major challengers beame in democratic primary. in close , highly fractured election, u.s. representative ed koch finished first 19.81% of vote , cuomo came second 18.74%. no candidate cleared 40% of vote, koch , cuomo advanced runoff. koch emerged victorious 54.94% of vote cuomo s 45.06%. cuomo had received nomination of liberal party several months , urged drop out of race contested general election against koch , token republican opposition.

during mayoral campaign, placards appeared saying: vote cuomo, not homo in reference rumors koch s sexuality. cuomo denied responsibility this, koch never forgave him made clear pointedly disparaging reference mr. cuomo in recorded interview new york times not made public until mr. koch s death. cuomo ran on opposition death penalty, backfired amongst new yorkers crime high. cuomo went negative ads likened koch unpopular former mayor john lindsay. meanwhile, koch backers accused cuomo of antisemitism , pelted cuomo campaign cars eggs. cuomo defeated koch in general election, taking 40.97% koch s 49.99%. race discussed in jonathan mahler s book ladies , gentlemen, bronx burning.

new york lieutenant governor

in 1978, incumbent lieutenant governor krupsak declined seek re-election because of how governor carey treated in office; felt not given enough do. withdrew ticket , unsuccessfully challenged carey in gubernatorial primary, accusing him of incompetence. cuomo won primary lieutenant governor , elected alongside carey in general election.