Could Andrew Cuomo try for a political comeback?

published 10 August 2021

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo stepped down on Tuesday after an earth-shattering report from the state attorney general's office determined he had sexually harassed multiple women, including current and former employees. The immediate calls for his resignation or removal were widespread and fierce, even as Cuomo himself originally pushed back on the suggestion.

However, some have noted that Cuomo's now-voluntary departure is perhaps just part of a long-shot gambit in which he eventually attempts to make a political comeback. "The way Cuomo framed his resignation is a potential set up for a comeback next year," mused The Atlantic's Edward-Isaac Dovere. "If government doesn't work in his absence, he could jump into the 2022 race arguing that he was the missing piece."

Journalist Jonathan Alter took a similar stance, suggesting that by avoiding impeachment, Cuomo has left open the door for redemption.

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Cuomo will be succeeded by Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul, who will become the first female governor of New York.

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Brigid Kennedy worked at The Week from 2021 to 2023 as a staff writer, junior editor and then story editor, with an interest in U.S. politics, the economy and the music industry.