The April 28 Democratic presidential primary in New York will likely be an epic clash — but not just between far-left Bernie Sanders and mainstream Joe Biden, but also the state and city’s constantly warring mayor and governor.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo and much of the state Democratic Party machine will be getting behind Biden while the progressive left wing led by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez will carry the banner for Democratic socialist Sanders.
The outcome could be pivotal in clinching the nomination for one of the two front-runners.
Cuomo has not officially endorsed Biden. But they’re old pals and the governor has made it clear that he believes Biden is most qualified to be president while saying he finds it difficult to see voters in a general election casting their ballots for Sanders.
State Party Democratic Party Chairman Jay Jacobs — a close Cuomo ally — has all but endorsed Biden and considers Sanders politically too far left.
“In a contest in New York between a moderate progressive candidate and a far left candidate, the moderate progressive candidate wins,” said Jacobs, who also serves as the longtime Nassau County Democratic leader — a key suburban battleground.
He noted the more moderate Hillary Clinton defeated the Vermont senator in New York in the 2016 primary and Cuomo won a third-term in 2018 after trouncing lefty insurgent, actress-activist Cynthia Nixon, in the Democratic primary.
Clinton, the former New York senator and US secretary of state, won 57 percent of the vote to 42 percent for Sanders, the Brooklyn native. Clinton swept New York City and the surrounding suburbs while Sanders carried many upstate counties.
“Where I come from, Bernie’s message doesn’t resonate with a majority of voters,” said Jacobs, a longtime leader of the Nassau County Democratic Party. “You have to take that into account.”
Ocasio-Cortez, a fellow democratic socialist, has been one of Sanders’ biggest boosters, stumping for him across the country. She helped revive Sanders’ campaign by endorsing him last year after he suffered a heart attack.
De Blasio – who backed Clinton in 2016 after much dithering — also was late in throwing his muscle behind Sanders last month and has campaigned for him after dropping his own ill-fated bid for president.
Mike Bloomberg’s exit from the race will likely boost Biden in New York. The billionaire former three-term mayor endorsed Biden on Wednesday and many of his backers will likely follow suit.
Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone, a Bloomberg backer, put out a statement endorsing Biden after Bloomberg did so.
Biden, given his strong support among black voters in South Carolina and other southern states that voted on Super Tuesday, could give him an edge in New York.
Many of the labor unions would likely follow Cuomo into Biden’s camp. United Federation of Teachers president Mike Mulgrew is running on Biden’s delegate slate in New York.
Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden at a debate in South Carolina last month.Getty ImagesBut Sanders has a strong operation in New York. The Progressive Action Network, founded by Sanders supporters, has a presence in many parts of the state.
Civil rights activist and MSNBC host, the Rev. Al Sharpton cautioned that it can’t be assumed that Biden will run up the score with black voters in New York the same way he has in the south — because Sanders has influential validators to help compete for support from African-Americans and Latinos.
“De Blasio and AOC are supporting Bernie,” Sharpton said.
So is Public Advocate Jumaane Williams.
“New York is going to be pivotal,” Sharpton said.




