Disgraced ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo paid a veteran pollster $93,000 as he weighed a political comeback — potentially a challenge of Gov. Kathy Hochul — this year, a new filing reveals.
Cuomo tapped the firm Expedition Strategies to test the waters, with a payment of $93,211 recorde𓂃d on May 31.
The firm has represented the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, US Commerce Secretary and former Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo, Virginia Sen. and former vice presidential candidate Tim Kaine, among others.
“When you spend $93,000 on a poll, your intention is to run unless the results tell you otherwise,” said Rob Cole, a GOP consultant who served as a top aide to former three-term New York Gov. George Pataki.
State Democratic Party chairman Jay Jacobs said, “I don’t think you poll unless you’re looking to run in a future election. If he polled in the governor’s race, it showed Kathy Hochul was strong and one would be dissuaded from running.”
A Cuomo insider confirmed that the ex-governor was mull𒅌ing༒ a comeback and his campaign committee hired a pollster to see where he stood.
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“He was trying to understand the landscape in terms of the Democratic primary and the general election,” the source, who requested anonymity, said.
The source claimed there was “a path” for a Cuomo to mount a comeback but winning was not a “certainty.”
“If you’re looking at 50-50, you can’t do it,” the source said.
Cuomo hired another pollster following his resignation last August under the threat of impeachment, after a devastating investigative report conducted by state Attorney General Letitia James’ office found he harassed or mistreated a slew of women. Cuomo denied wrongdoing.
That former pollster, Global Strategies, headed by Jeffrey Pollock, is working on Gov. Kathy Hochul’s campaign.
Hochul, Cuomo’s hand-picked lieutenant governor, succeeded him as governor when he resigned and is facing off against Long Island Rep. Lee Zeldin, the Republican gubernatorial nominee, in the general election in a bid to remain New York’s chief executive.
Public polling consistently showed that voters believed Cuomo was a sexual harasser and didn’t want him to run again.
But he maintained a reservoir of support among some Democratic voters — particularly black residents — a key voting constituency in the Democratic primary and was within striking distance of Hochul, other surveys showed.
Anotꦗher Cuomo source later confirmed the ex-governor is keeping his options open for a political revival.
“There are elections this year and there are elections in the future. Who knows what the future will be,” the Cuomo associate said.