Former Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg on Tuesday announced that he was backing Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo in the New York City mayor’s race, giving Mr. Cuomo an endorsement coveted by many of the Democratic candidates in the race.
Mr. Bloomberg said in a statement that it had been difficult to watch the city struggle since he left office, especially during the coronavirus pandemic, and that Mr. Cuomo was the best choice for mayor. He called Mr. Cuomo a “pragmatist” and praised his work to rebuild LaGuardia Airport.
“In sizing up the field in the race for mayor,” Mr. Bloomberg said, “there is one candidate whose management experience and government know-how stand above the others: Andrew Cuomo.”
Mr. Cuomo has centered his campaign on the idea that the city is in crisis and needs a strong manager to address quality-of-life issues. He has also faced repercussions over the sexual harassment scandal that led to his resignation as governor of New York in 2021 and criticism of some elements of how he handled the pandemic.
Many moderate voters look back fondly on Mr. Bloomberg’s three terms in office and are interested in a candidate who might have better managerial skills than the current officeholder, Mayor Eric Adams.
Ester R. Fuchs, a political science professor at Columbia University and a former adviser to Mr. Bloomberg, said the endorsement could sway voters who were on the fence about Mr. Cuomo.
“Bloomberg is the most critical and important endorsement for Cuomo in the primary,” she said. “It’s a seal of approval for moderate voters who care about effectively governing the city.”
Mr. Cuomo has led in polls ahead of the June 24 Democratic primary. But he has faced a surprisingly strong challenge from Zohran Mamdani, a state lawmaker from Queens and a democratic socialist.
The endorsement comes two days before the second and final candidate debate on Thursday. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez endorsed Mr. Mamdani last week, and polls show the race narrowing.
Mr. Bloomberg said that Mr. Cuomo had “focused on solving problems rather than engaging in ideological or partisan warfare,” a seeming reference to left-leaning candidates like Mr. Mamdani.
It was not immediately clear if Mr. Bloomberg intended to further assist Mr. Cuomo during the last two weeks of the race by hitting the campaign trail with him or donating to Fix the City, a super PAC tied to Mr. Cuomo’s interests. Mr. Bloomberg is expected to contribute to a group allied with Mr. Cuomo, according to a person familiar with his thinking.
Mr. Bloomberg and Mr. Cuomo had a tense relationship when they overlapped in office more than a decade ago. They fumed privately about each other’s ego, as well as matters of style and substance.
Mr. Bloomberg referred to their past in the statement and said that there was no “perfect choice” in the race.
“History holds endless examples of friction between mayors and governors,” Mr. Bloomberg said. “During my 12 years in City Hall, I served with four New York governors and had differences with all of them, including Cuomo. But I also know his strengths as a leader and manager.”
Several of Mr. Bloomberg’s allies had donated to Mr. Cuomo’s mayoral bid, including his daughter Emma Bloomberg, indicating that the former mayor might be inching toward an endorsement.
In a series of interviews with the mayoral candidates, many praised Mr. Bloomberg as a manager, even if they criticized parts of his record, including a rise in stop-and-frisk policing during his administration.
Mr. Mamdani said that Bill de Blasio had been the best mayor in his lifetime and he praised Mr. de Blasio’s implementation of universal prekindergarten. Mr. Cuomo said that Mr. Bloomberg “was the most effective manager of the city.”