'Kiss of death': Cuomo apparently favored by Trump for New York City mayor

And another Democrat is now running to replace U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik.

Good afternoon — it’s Wednesday and Skyscraper Day.

In today’s CapCon:

• Democrats in New York City erupted after the New York Times reported that Trump could try to shift the race for mayor.

• Another Democrat has entered the race for the congressional district currently held by U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, setting up a potential primary.

• While other states rebuff the CDC on vaccines, New York has not. Newly amended legislation would change that.

• As property insurance costs rise in New York, one lawmaker wants to require a closer look from state regulators.

• Hochul will decide this year on a bill that could help combat crime on Native American reservations.

Names in today’s CapCon: Eric Adams, Curtis Sliwa, Donald J. Trump, Andrew Cuomo, Zohran Mamdani, Andrew Gounardes, Ritchie Torres, Bernie Sanders, Charles Schumer, Elise Stefanik, Robert Smullen, Dan Stec, Liz Joy, Anthony Constantino, Blake Gendebian, Dylan Hewitt, Brad Hoylman-Sigal, Micah Lasher

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New York City Mayor Eric Adams (Rod Lamkey/Associated Press)

🗣️ Trump apparently wants to shake up the race for New York City mayor

President Donald J. Trump has apparently discussed offering positions in his administration to New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Curtis Sliwa, the Republican nominee for mayor.

That’s according to a fresh story this afternoon from the New York Times. Politico followed up with a report that Adams is being offered a position at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The goal of Adams and Sliwa exiting the race would be to shift their support to Andrew M. Cuomo. That would give former governor a better chance of defeating Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, who Democrats chose as their nominee in June.

“This is, however, about an affront to our democracy, an affront to what makes so many of us proud to be Americans — that we choose our own leaders,” Mamdani said shortly after the story went up.

Cuomo has denied having any contact with Trump and Richard Azzopardi, his spokesman, said "there's no truth” to any claims of collusion between the two.

Adams was asked Wednesday morning about rumors that he plans to exit the race.

“Whenever I make a move I’ll make an announcement,” Adams said. “I’m in this race to win.”

Democrats who’ve already come out in support of Mamdani erupted at the news, though it’s unlikely to be touched by others who haven’t been active in the race for mayor. U.S. Rep. Ritchie Torres is not one of them.

“Donald Trump has gutted Medicaid and SNAP by a trillion dollars to bankroll tax cuts for billionaires,” Torres said. “His not-so-subtle ‘endorsement’ in a New York City election is nothing short of the kiss of death.”