Andrew Giuliani announces 2022 bid for New York governor
Andrew Giuliani has dreams of turning next year’s gubernatorial race into another “Fight of the Century.”
The son of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani will announce Tuesday that he’s officially running for the Republican primary in 2022 — and is confident he can not only knock out veteran GOP competition but then go on to take out scandal-ridden Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
“I’m a politician out of the womb. It’s in my DNA,” Giuliani, 35, told The Post, referring to his childhood as the son of a larger than life Big Apple mayor.
“Giuliani vs. Cuomo. Holy smokes. Its Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier. We can sell tickets at Madison Square Garden,” he said, referring to the famous 1971 heavyweight title prizefight.
Giuliani, 35, who served for four years as a White House aide to former President Donald Trump, insisted he is qualified to run — despite having never before run for a public office — and that he has the best chance to topple embattled three-term incumbent Cuomo.
“It would be one of the epic showdowns in the state’s history,” said Giuliani, saying he will run as a change agent as did Trump and his dad. His playbook will be pro-business, pro-police, pro-school choice.
Giuliani has his father’s bravado if not background as a Mafia-fighting Manhattan federal prosecutor coming into this race.
“I know we can defeat Andrew Cuomo in 2022. I am going to be the 57th governor of New York,” he said.
Giuliani called the Cuomo administration’s controversial March 2020 edict that required nursing homes to accept recovering COVID patients discharged from hospitals “the worst” in state history. Cuomo and state Health Commissioner Howard Zucker defended the decision and the months of undercounting COVID nursing home deaths that now have them under investigation.
“It was Andrew Cuomo’s actions that killed 9,000 senior citizens in nursing homes in New York. He should have resigned,” Giuliani said.
“Cuomo didn’t use the USS Comfort ship or the Javits Center to house seniors with COVID. He didn’t want to give President Trump a political victory.”
It would be the battle of two political dynasties. Andrew’s dad, Rudy, was mayor for a year while Andrew Cuomo’s father, the late Mario Cuomo, was serving the final year of his three-term run as governor in 1994.
But first Giuliani would have to compete in a GOP primary against Long Island Rep. Lee Zeldin, of Long Island and former Westchester County executive Rob Astorino, who lost to Cuomo as the GOP nominee for governor in 2014.
Zeldin was the first to announce and has already secured the support of many Republican county leaders and committees to be anointed the party’s preferred candidate.
Giuliani said he’s unfazed, vowing to raise enough money to mount a credible campaign and will greet voters in all the state’s 62 counties.
“I believe we have the best chance to win if I’m the Republican candidate in November. It’s not even close,” he said during a lengthy interview.
“You’re going to have more enthusiasm in the race.”
A Republican hasn’t won a statewide race since George Pataki, who denied Mario Cuomo a fourth term, was elected to his own third term as governor in 2002, a year after the Sept. 11 terror attacks. Giuliani said he spoke to Pataki about making a run.
But politics wasn’t always the driving force for Giuliani, who spent five years as a professional golfer after graduating from Duke University in 2009, where he majored in management and sociology.
A couple years later he landed a job in the Office of White House Liaison for Trump, for whom his dad was serving as a personal friend and attorney. It propelled him back into the spotlight.
Also, like the president and his dad, he tested positive for COVID-19. He insist his father and Trump are assets to his campaign — even in New York.
“I believe my dad was the greatest mayor ever in New York City, and maybe the United States of America,” Andrew said.
The FBI recently raided Rudy Giuliani’s apartment as part of a probe into his dealings in the Ukraine. Rudy Giuliani, a former federal prosecutor, denied wrongdoing and said he was being framed for serving as Trump’s lawyer, and Andrew also blasted the feds’ actions.
Andrew said his dad is on board with his campaign and some of his father’s top longtime advisers are helping, including Jakes Menges and Heather Powers McBride, both of whom Andrew has known since childhood.
Giuliani also spoke to Trump, but the ex-president isn’t taking sides because he is also fond of Zeldin.
But he said Trump “absolutely” encouraged him to run to bring attention and excitement into the GOP primary.
“President Trump certainly understands the importance of a strong primary,” he said.
In response to critics who may question his qualifications and experience, Giuliani said being in the White House fishbowl under Trump and learning from his father has prepared him for the governorship.
“My four years in the White House has prepared me for this moment,” he said.
He said he interacted with corporate CEOs to promote Trump’s actions to slash business regulations and the COVID-19 Payroll Protection Program, as well as fixing shortfalls with funding in Sept. 11 health fund benefits.
Giuliani also worked with the White House task force to curb opioid abuse.
He said he embraces Trump’s record and accomplishments.
“I am not going to run away from who I am and what I’ve done. I worked for four years in the Trump White House,” Giuliani said.
“Record low unemployment. The Trump White House was excellent in getting Americans to work and into successful careers. I will do that for New York.”
There’s a cultural issue where Giuliani is also in sync with Trump.
A diehard Yankees and football Giants fan, Giuliani said he opposed professional players kneeling during the National Anthem to protest police abuse of black citizens, calling it “disappointing” and “very sad.”
“They’re protesting. This is a war on our police,” he said.
“Sports is something that’s going to bring people together. Unfortunately now it’s become a divisive topic.”
Giuliani, citing an increase in shootings, said curbing crime will be a top priority.
He said Cuomo and the Democrats have been more interested in helping defendants by eliminating cash bail for many crimes.
“This has to be something dealt with at the state level. The police are not getting protection from City Hall and Albany to do the job right. There will be no greater friend to the police than Andrew Giuliani,” he said.
And he said “rolling back” the increase in corporate taxes and income taxes on the wealthy just approved by Cuomo and the Legislature would also be a top priority.
Giuliani said the high tax and anti-business environment “is one of the reasons New York is losing people.”
He spoke of the New York ingenuity that built the Erie Canal to attract commerce.
“We shouldn’t be building a canal to Florida,” he said.
Giuliani also accused Cuomo and Democratic legislators of abandoning parents and kids by failing to raise the cap on the opening of more charter schools.
“I will be someone to fight for your choice. The 270 cap in New York City is beyond absurd. The cap needs to go up. It’s hurting kids who don’t have the means to go to an expensive private school,” he said.
