Former New York governor Andrew Cuomo hit the campaign trail alongside Brooklyn Councilwoman Inna Vernikov, one of the city’s most prominent Republicans, as he seeks to build bipartisan support in his uphill battle against far-left Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani in the New York City mayoral race.

Vernikov, a Ukrainian-born Jewish lawmaker who represents a large population of Jewish immigrants from the former Soviet Union in South Brooklyn, broke with her party to endorse Cuomo over Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa.

“Inna has been a fearless voice against antisemitism and for public safety, accountability, and common sense in city government,” Cuomo said at the event. “We may come from different parties, but we share the same goal: protecting New York’s values and future.”

Cuomo’s partnership with Vernikov is one of the most visible examples of his effort to court disillusioned Republicans and moderate Democrats who view Mamdani’s brand of democratic socialism as a threat to public safety, economic stability, and New York’s Jewish community.

Vernikov’s South Brooklyn district — encompassing neighborhoods like Brighton Beach, Sheepshead Bay, and Manhattan Beach — voted overwhelmingly for President Donald Trump in last year’s election. Her endorsement gives Cuomo a crucial bridge into a conservative base that has traditionally shunned Democrats.

“She said something powerful,” Cuomo told supporters. “That many in this community feel everything they once escaped would now be coming to New York if Mamdani is elected.” The comment drew a direct line between Mamdani’s socialist policies and the Soviet-style system many of Vernikov’s constituents fled.

Cuomo, a lifelong Democrat running as an independent after losing the Democratic primary to Mamdani, has sought to position himself as the only viable alternative to what he calls Mamdani’s “ideological extremism.” Vernikov’s endorsement not only lends him bipartisan credibility but also highlights growing cracks in the city’s traditional political alignments.

Vernikov, an outspoken supporter of Israel, said her decision to back Cuomo over her party’s own nominee was not political but moral. “This race isn’t about party labels,” she said earlier this week. “It’s about whether New York will be safe, sane, and supportive of our Jewish community — or whether it will fall into the hands of someone who despises everything we stand for.”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)