Cuomo skips another major NYC mayoral face forum where candidates will talk immigration

Democrats running for mayor will hash out the hot-button issue of immigration Wednesday night – but frontrunner Andrew Cuomo will be notably missing.The former governor is skipping out another chance to answer tough questions, this time at a forum in which his opponents in the June primary were expected to address how they’d respond to the Trump administration’s crack down on illegal migrants.The event at the CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies, hosted by the New York Immigration Coalition, was set to feature socialist Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, the runner-up in the polls after Cuomo.It’s the latest in a string of mayoral campaign forums that the ex-gov has opted not to attend — and his past absences have sparked a chorus of criticism from his opponents.“When you are scared to answer to the people of New York and are scared to be held accountable than you’re not going to participate in the forums,” state Sen.

Jessica Ramos told NBC 4 NY last month after Cuomo missed another forum in Brooklyn.He also brushed off a discussion on public safety last week, which was attended by most of the other Democratic primary candidates.Cuomo, however, did speak at the Rev.Al Sharpton’s annual National Action Network Convention earlier this month.Organizers of Wednesday’s immigration forum said on their website that Cuomo had been invited, along with Mayor Eric Adams, who is running as an independent and who also opted to skip the event.Along with Mamdani, other candidates expected to attend include Ramos, City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, city Comptroller Brad Lander and his predecessor Scott Stringer, state Sen.

Zellnor Myrie and ex-Obama aide Michael Blake.Cuomo’s chronic absences haven’t hurt him in the polls — he led Mamdani 34% to 16% when voters were asked about their top choice, according to a survey released Tuesday.But Cuomo — who resigned from the governor’s office in disgrace in 2021 over sexual harassment allegations he denies — ...