The Cuomo Comeback Could Be the Communications Strategy Democrats Desperately Need

I know this essay is going to make a lot of people unhappy, including my wife, who disagreed with my reasoning when I told her I was going to write this. But if I were eligible to vote in New York City’s June 24 mayoral primary election, I would cast a ballot for former Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

It’s not that I don’t believe the women who accused him of sexual harassment and forced him to resign as governor. It’s because I believe Cuomo is the only nationally known Democratic candidate who can stop the United States from becoming an authoritarian MAGA state—one being fostered by another sexual abuser, convicted felon and former President Donald Trump, the 21st-century version of the robber barons.

Cuomo gained national recognition and applause for his daily press conferences during the COVID-19 pandemic. He was widely praised for his ability to clearly communicate with the public during a time of crisis. For communicators, this illustrates the power of message clarity and cadence. In moments of chaos, owning the narrative through consistent, emotionally resonant messaging can position a leader as a trusted figure—even beyond policy.

When Trump attempted to overshadow the governor with his own daily briefings, his ludicrous statements—such as suggesting the injection of disinfectant into the body as a cure—were ridiculed by the scientific community and manufacturers, which issued statements telling people not to do so. The American Chemistry Council warned, “Chlorine bleach and other disinfectants should never be ingested or injected into the body to treat infections such as COVID-19. Such a practice could be lethal or cause serious bodily harm.” (A rational person could think that only a dope—or someone whose thinking is marred from using dope—would make such a statement.)

Democratic strategists keep floating names for possible 2028 presidential candidates—people mostly known from mentions on cable news political shows. They include Govs. Gretchen Whitmer, Wes Moore, J.B. Pritzker, Josh Shapiro and Gavin Newsom, along with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Bernie Sanders—who, because of age, shouldn’t be taken seriously as a candidate.

All of the above, except AOC and Sanders, are mainstream liberal politicians who appeal to various Democratic populations. But to turn back the MAGA authoritarian advance, Democrats have to coalesce behind one candidate immediately after Labor Day so there’s time to introduce that person nationally. (An AOC candidacy, in my opinion, would doom the Democratic Party to defeats at the national level that would take multiple election cycles to overcome. Already, many of her progressive soulmates have been defeated by more traditional liberal candidates in primaries or general elections.)

This speaks to a fundamental rule of political communication: introduce your candidate—or product—before your opposition does it for you. Brand definition, like candidate positioning, must happen early and with discipline.

Vice President Kamala Harris and Gov. Tim Walz are also receiving media attention on the cable shows. But it’s believed Harris has her eyes on running for governor of California. Walz, however, seems to be prepping for a 2028 presidential run. His lackluster performance in the 2024 election makes him an unlikely nominee.

A Cuomo victory in the mayoral primary—and subsequently in the general election—would automatically create the excitement that is currently nonexistent in Democratic politics.

News coverage now emphasizes the disarray in the Democratic Party. A Cuomo victory would give the media a new storyline and provide Cuomo with a national platform to take on the felon now in the White House. Communicators should recognize the media’s hunger for narrative arcs—conflict, comeback, redemption. Positioning a subject as the protagonist in a compelling storyline can reframe perception and generate fresh engagement—even among skeptics.

During the pandemic, Cuomo showed he was more than capable of taking on Trump. In fact, he made Trump abandon his daily COVID-19 press briefings. Democrats need a candidate who can go head-to-head with Trump now—and with the next Republican presidential nominee in the future.

In my opinion, the only Democrat capable of doing that, as I write this on June 9, is Cuomo.

It’s possible that in the days to come, a JFK, Bill Clinton or Barack Obama-type candidate might emerge. But if such an individual exists, he or she must appear in the next several weeks and receive the full backing of all elements of the Democratic Party. Spoilers—such as the self-anointed progressives—must be publicly denounced and cast aside, as Trump has done to Republicans who disagree with him.

My first public relations job was with a political agency, where I worked on local, statewide and presidential campaigns. When I voiced frustration about a candidate, an old political warhorse gave me advice that changed my way of thinking about politics forever.

“You have two choices in an election,” he told me. “You can support who you think is the perfect candidate and feel good about standing up for your beliefs—after that candidate is defeated. Or you can back a flawed candidate who has a better chance of winning and supports many of the issues you care about—and will enact them if elected.

“With the perfect candidate, there’s no chance of getting initiatives you agree with enacted.

“With the flawed candidate, there is.”

John Spencer, chairman of urban warfare studies at West Point’s Modern War Institute, wrote in the June 9 Wall Street Journal about Israel arming Gaza clans to fight Hamas: “The character of the post-war actor is a secondary concern to winning the war itself.”

That’s why I support Cuomo over candidates who might be 99.9% pure.

I’ve always told the people who reported to me that they can learn a lot of public relations techniques not taught in communication schools by paying attention to the political scene.

For professionals in PR, political campaigns are masterclasses in messaging, narrative control and reputation recovery. Studying how flawed candidates are repositioned, and how messaging is stress-tested under fire, delivers real-world lessons more valuable than any textbook.

Paying attention to how Cuomo’s PR team attempts to revive a flawed candidate’s chances will provide such a lesson.

So will watching how the Trump team attempts to downplay the feud between the president and an automobile salesperson.