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EXCLUSIVE: A prominent Empire State Republican is backing former Democrat Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the New York City mayoral race next week in a bid to derail Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani.
Rep. Nick Langworthy, R-N.Y., a House lawmaker who previously chaired the New York State Republican Party, told Fox News Digital it was a "no-brainer" backing Cuomo, despite their disagreements, over Mamdani.
"This is a simple choice. I mean, one candidate has a shot to win. I mean, there's polling that has him 10 points down in a very fluid situation," Langworthy said.
"This is about saving the city from communism. I've had plenty of disagreements - very publicly over the years - and fought tooth and nail with Gov. Cuomo. But there's no doubt in my mind he would be a far superior mayor than a communist."
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He is one of several prominent Republicans in New York coming out to publicly back Cuomo in the waning days before the election.
Early voting began in the New York City mayor's race last weekend. Mamdani is the presumptive frontrunner in the deep blue Democrat stronghold, with Cuomo running as an independent candidate and Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa running as the Republican.
Cuomo and Sliwa have both made overt movements to court independent and Republican voters, however, with concerns from Mamdani's critics that the two could cancel each other out.
Langworthy would not say whether it was a mistake for Sliwa not to drop out of the race earlier but said, "Everyone's really got to check, is this a vanity project? Or is this something you're trying to do to seriously be the mayor?
"There's only one candidate running against Mamdani that has a credible path to win. And there's Andrew Cuomo. And, you know, he knows how to run a government," he said. "I may have policy disagreements with him, but he's certainly a better option than the alternative of Mamdani and the Democratic Socialists of America running the city with no checks and balances."
It comes as other New York Republicans are making last-ditch overtures to Big Apple voters as well.
Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., the only House Republican representing part of New York City and who ran for mayor in 2017, said she believed Sliwa was "the best choice" but said polling showed "Cuomo's got the best chance of beating Mamdani."
"I'll take either of the two, quite frankly. I'll take anybody but the communist," she said.
"He lacks the experience. You know, 34 years old. His only job was a hip-hop artist - a bad one, to boot. And if we have another hurricane, another pandemic, another terrorist attack, this guy is not capable of managing this city through it."
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But House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Andrew Garbarino, R-N.Y., who represents part of the New York City suburbs on Long Island, said he believed a Mamdani victory was likely a "forgone conclusion."
"The Democrats, the way they just set the system for themselves - somehow the primary is ranked choice, but the general is not. I mean, it's ridiculous," Garbarino said. "We'll see, though. I mean, the polls have been wrong before."
Election Day in New York City is Tuesday, Nov. 4.
