Democrat Mikie Sherrill wins NJ gubernatorial primary, setting up showdown with Trump-backed GOP winner
MORRISTOWN, N.J. — Rep. Mikie Sherrill won New Jersey’s Democrat gubernatorial primary on Tuesday night. The Associated Press projects that Sherrill has won the primary, which tees up a competitive race against three-time gubernatorial candidate and former GOP state lawmaker Jack Ciattarelli to replace Democrat Gov. Phil Murphy, who is term-limited this year. Sherill swept a crowded field of Democrat candidates, including Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, New Jersey Education Association President Sean Spiller, former New Jersey Senate President Steve Sweeney and fellow U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer. Democrat and Republican candidates often mentioned President Donald Trump’s name on the New Jersey campaign trail as Democrats positioned themselves as the most anti-Trump and Republicans vied to be the most pro-Trump candidate. It was Ciattarelli who landed the Trump endorsement as Democrats worked to contrast the president’s vision with their own. TRUMP NOT ON BALLOT, BUT PRESIDENT FRONT AND CENTER IN NEW JERSEY’S PRIMARY FOR GOVERNOR New Jersey is one of just two governor’s races in 2025, along with Virginia. Both will be used by politicians and pundits to gauge how Americans are responding to Trump’s second term ahead of the midterm elections next year. TRUMP FRONT-AND-CENTER IN REPUBLICAN PRIMARY FOR GOVERNOR AS EARLY VOTING KICKS OFF As they campaigned for the coveted nomination, Democrat candidates walked a fine line between building on Murphy’s legacy and promising to change the status quo in Trenton. Like Murphy, Democrat candidates have rejected Trump’s executive orders, his crackdown on illegal immigration and the Department of Government Efficiency spending cuts. Acting as the last line of defense to a sweeping Republican agenda, Democrat governors have often rejected Trump’s executive actions during his second term. By suing the Trump administration to unlock federal funds or refusing to comply with ICE deportations, Democrat governors, including many rumored to harbor 2028 presidential ambitions, are often leading the party’s resistance to Trump. Trump once again took center stage on Tuesday as Sherrill and Gottheimer were peppered with questions by the press about the protests and riots unfolding in Los Angeles. When asked how she would handle the ongoing situation in Los Angeles differently from Gov. Gavin Newsom, Sherrill touted her military and law enforcement background and told Fox News Digital she would stand up “strongly in favor of keeping people here in the state safe,” return safety to the streets and continue “speaking out against a president who is trying to create violence in the country.” Sherrill is a Navy veteran and served in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Jersey as an outreach and re-entry coordinator, which she described as prosecuting federal cases and advising law enforcement on investigations. “Governor Newsom surged law enforcement in, and what Trump seems to be doing is trying to add fuel to the fire and really make the situation violent and bad,” Sherrill told reporters after casting her ballot in Montclair on Tuesday morning. “That’s completely unacceptable.” Gottheimer said it was “outrageous” for Trump to send the National Guard to California without Newsom’s request. “The fact that the president, for the first time since 1965, sent troops in from the National Guard without a request from the governor is outrageous. It’s just more chaos that we’re used to having in this administration. It’s not how I would approach this,” Gottheimer told Fox News Digital after voting in Tenafly. Democrat candidates threw their support behind Baraka last month after he was arrested for trespassing at an ICE facility in Newark. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) called it a “beyond bizarre political stunt,” but Baraka has maintained that he did nothing wrong. Last week, Baraka filed a lawsuit against Alina Habba, U.S. attorney for the District of New Jersey, and DHS Agent Ricky Patel “for false arrest, malicious prosecution, and defamation.” Trump outperformed in the Garden State in 2024, according to Fox News Voter Analysis. While former Vice President Kamala Harris won New Jersey in 2024 as expected, Trump saw a nearly five-point improvement from his 2020 vote share, and Harris’ support dropped by about five points. He gained across New Jersey, with his largest swings in the northeast corner of the state; Hudson and Passaic counties led the pack. Ciattarelli lost by a hair to Murphy in 2021 and framed his candidacy as a referendum on the Democrat policies that have driven New Jersey for the past eight years. Fox News’ Remy Numa contributed to this report.
Texas high school students’ STAAR scores show gains in STEM fields, struggles in reading and literacy
Education policy experts say the results align with Texas’ workforce goals but note that students still need help.
Protesters throw rocks, jump on moving ICE vehicle after Omaha workplace raid
After a workplace ICE raid that resulted in the arrests of about 70 alleged illegal aliens at a meatpacking plant in Omaha, several protesters threw rocks and jumped on federal vehicles carrying out the operation. The AP reported that federal immigration authorities made the arrests at Glenn Valley Foods Tuesday morning. Fox News Digital reached out to ICE to confirm the raid but did not immediately hear back. ICE officials told the AP the raid was “based on an ongoing criminal investigation into the large-scale employment of aliens without authorization to work in the United States” and that it was likely the largest “worksite enforcement operation” in Nebraska since President Donald Trump took office. PRESIDENT TRUMP CALLS FOR JAIL TIME FOR LA FLAG BURNERS, SLAMS RIOTERS CARRYING OTHER COUNTRIES’ FLAGS The Flatwater Free Press reported that the situation grew tense after protesters began gathering as a caravan of federal vehicles was leaving the plant. The outlet reported that several protesters jumped on moving law enforcement vehicles and “threw rocks and debris at the cars, shattering one window.” Video posted by the outlet shows what appears to be a line of federal vehicles surrounded by protesters on either side throwing objects, kicking the cars and yelling profanity and slogans like “f— you, pig.” At one point during the video, a window can be heard smashing. In another video posted by the outlet, two protesters jumped on the hood of a vehicle as it attempts to travel off. Violence erupted in Omaha with Los Angeles still battling violent anti-ICE riots and the rest of the country facing widespread protests against the Trump administration ramping up of ICE arrests and deportations. ‘VERY BIG FORCE’ WILL ADDRESS PROTESTORS AT SATURDAY’S MILITARY PARADE, TRUMP SAYS Protests over the raids in Los Angeles devolved into violence over the weekend as rioters targeted federal law enforcement officials by throwing rocks, and videos showed people looting stores, setting cars on fire and taking over a freeway. Trump announced Saturday he was deploying 2,000 National Guard members to help quell the violence, bypassing the governor, who typically activates the National Guard. The administration has also deployed several hundred active-duty Marines to respond to the riots. The move prompted Newsom to file a lawsuit against the Trump administration over efforts to allegedly “federalize the California National Guard,” while Democrats across the nation have attempted to pin blame for the violence on Trump’s activation of the National Guard while characterizing the anti-ICE riots as “peaceful” demonstrations. IMMIGRATION AUTHORITIES HIGHLIGHT CRIMINAL HISTORY OF MULTIPLE MIGRANTS ARRESTED IN LOS ANGELES Speaking with reporters in the Oval Office Tuesday, Trump said Americans can expect additional immigration raids across the country similar to those in California, warning that any potential riots that break out in response to the raids will be met with “equal or greater force” compared to the government’s handling of recent Los Angeles violence.
US Attorney Alina Habba announces Rep. McIver hit with federal charges over Newark ICE clash
Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-NJ) was hit with a federal indictment for allegedly obstructing Homeland Security agents during the May 9 incident outside a Newark immigration detention facility in a move her attorneys call political payback. U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced the three-count indictment, charging McIver with forcibly impeding federal officers during the attempted arrest of Newark Mayor Ras Baraka at the Delaney Hall immigration facility. According to a DOJ press release, McIver and two other members of Congress were conducting a congressional oversight visit that coincided with an immigration protest. After Baraka entered the facility’s secured area, federal agents warned him to leave. WHITE HOUSE HITS BACK AT DEM MAYOR SUING US ATTORNEY AFTER ICE ARREST: ‘DESPERATE ATTEMPT’ When officers tried to arrest him, McIver allegedly blocked them, putting her arms around the mayor, and “slammed her forearm” into one officer while grabbing another. Each of the first two counts carries a maximum eight-year prison sentence. The third carries up to one year. NEWARK MAYOR SUES INTERIM US ATTORNEY FOR FALSE ARREST, MALICIOUS PROSECUTION In a statement on X, Habba said: “While people are free to express their views… they must not do so in a manner that endangers law enforcement.” McIver’s attorney, Paul Fishman, dismissed the case as political in a statement given to Fox News: “This prosecution is political retaliation against a dedicated public servant… We fully expect the Congresswoman’s exoneration.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The preliminary hearing scheduled for Tuesday was canceled. An arraignment is expected within two weeks.
Fetterman emerges as Dems’ ‘voice of reason’ as LA burns, conservatives say
Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. John Fetterman has once again emerged as the his party’s “voice of reason” after he denounced the Los Angeles riots for their “anarchy and true chaos” and Democratic colleagues attempt to characterize the anti-ICE riots as “peaceful protests.” “John Fetterman is once again a voice of reason within the Democrat party,” University of Pennsylvania grad Eyal Yakoby, who has frequently spoken to the media about antisemitism on college campuses since 2023, posted to X Monday. Fetterman issued a strong message on X Monday evening denouncing the riots in Los Angeles and included a now-infamous photo showing a rioter standing on a car while waving the Mexican flag surrounded by raging flames. “I unapologetically stand for free speech, peaceful demonstrations, and immigration—but this is not that,” Fetterman posted. “This is anarchy and true chaos. My party loses the moral high ground when we refuse to condemn setting cars on fire, destroying buildings, and assaulting law enforcement.” FETTERMAN CALLS OUT ‘ANARCHY’ IN LA, NOTING THAT DEMS FORFEIT ‘MORAL HIGH GROUND’ BY FAILING TO DECRY VIOLENCE The message received strong support among conservatives who have balked at Democrats attempting to portray the riots as peaceful and only turning violent and chaotic when President Donald Trump activated the National Guard over the weekend. FETTERMAN DEFIES ‘PUNITIVE’ PUNISHMENT FOR BREAKING WITH DEMOCRATIC PARTY DURING BIPARTISAN DISCUSSION “We conservatives were wrong about John Fetterman,” one social media commenter posted, referring to how conservatives were quick to denounce Fetterman’s 2022 Senate run. “He seems to be the only voice of reason on the left at this point.” “You are welcome to come to the winning side like the rest of us…” comedian Rosenne Barr responded. “He is 💯 correct. As I have always said, anyone who engages in this type of conduct, whether in LA, in Minneapolis, in Portland, or on January 6th should be arrested and prosecuted,” New York Republican Rep. Mike Lawler responded. “Causing violence, physical damage or harm is unacceptable and cannot be tolerated.” “Why aren’t more democrats saying this?” Republican Minnesota politician Joe Teirab posted. “To me, this is obvious and common sense.” “Senator John Fetterman should lead the Democrat party,” another account posted. FETTERMAN BREAKS RANKS, PRAISES TRUMP’S MIDDLE EAST POLICIES: ‘DID THE RIGHT THING’ “Sen. Fetterman appears to be the only prominent Democrat to denounce the rioting. Everybody else is as quiet as a mouse (or as a clenched fist). Didn’t they tell us that ‘Silence is Violence’?” another wrote. “True,” former Republican Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker posted in response to Fetterman’s message. “Once again, my friend @JohnFetterman is simply telling the truth,” Republican Alabama Sen. Katie Britt posted in response. This is far from the first time Fetterman has found himself being praised by conservatives and typical critics of the Democratic Party. Fetterman was among a handful of Democrats to denounce anti-Israel protests that took over college campuses after war broke out in Israel in 2023. He praised Trump for ending the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with Iran and re-imposing sanctions against the nation in 2018. KNIVES OUT FOR FETTERMAN: MAVERICK SENATOR JOINS LONG LINE OF DEMS PUNISHED FOR BREAKING FROM LEFT FETTERMAN CALLS OUT ‘ABSOLUTELY ABSURD’ PANDERING TO FAR-LEFT DEMOCRATS Fetterman was vocal about Democratic missteps during the 2024 presidential election, remarking in the lead-up to Election Day that Trump support in the Keystone State was “astonishing” and condemning Democrats who slammed Trump as a “fascist” after the election. Conservatives are praising Fetterman as the Democrats navigate their future after a disastrous 2024 election cycle that saw Joe Biden exiting the race with just over 100 days left in the cycle and Kamala Harris launching a truncated presidential campaign that failed to rally support against Trump’s bid. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Fox News Digital reached out to Fetterman’s office for additional comment on the matter but did not immediately receive a reply.
Newsom addresses Trump’s threat to arrest him as the two spar over LA riot response: ‘Point of no return’
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, said he has crafted a plan in the event the Trump administration arrests him after he and President Donald Trump went head-to-head over the handling of the immigration protests in Los Angeles. Newsom said he and his team have “processed” what it would mean for him if the Trump administration secured a federal warrant for his arrest, Newsom said in an interview with the “Pod Save America” podcast hosted by former Obama administration officials that aired Monday night. “What’s so absurd about that question is I’ve actually thought about it,” Newsom said when asked about preparations in the event authorities take him into custody. “The fact that we are even having that conversation with our folks, and have had that conversation with our folks in the United States in 2025, I mean, it says everything you need to know about who’s in the White House right now,” Newsom said. TRUMP GIVES BLUNT RESPONSE TO NEWSOM DARING HOMAN TO ARREST HIM: ‘I WOULD’ Newsom also addressed the arrest threats in an interview with The Washington Post published Tuesday, signaling that the relationship between the two had reached a point beyond repair. “He just threatened my arrest. One would assume, or presume, that’s the point of no return,” Newsom told The Washington Post. “I’m constitutionally capable of working with people, even those that call for my arrest. So, I remain resolved in that respect, as I remain resolved to have the backs of kids whose lives are being threatened by his authoritarian tendencies.” Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, first suggested in an interview with NBC News Saturday that Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass could face arrest if they hamper any federal efforts to deport illegal immigrants. In response, Newsom appeared to taunt Homan to take him into custody. “He’s a tough guy. Why doesn’t he do that? He knows where to find me,” Newsom told MSNBC News Sunday. “That kind of bloviating is exhausting. So, Tom, arrest me. Let’s go.” When asked about threats to arrest Newsom, Trump told reporters Monday that Newsom’s primary crime “is running for governor because he’s done such a bad job,” adding he would arrest Newsom if he were Homan. Newsom voiced disappointment in response to Trump’s remarks and cautioned the threats amounted to a step toward authoritarianism. NATIONAL GUARD TO BE DEPLOYED IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY AS ANTI-ICE PROTESTS RAGE: BORDER CZAR TOM HOMAN “The President of the United States just called for the arrest of a sitting Governor,” Newsom said Monday in a post on X. “This is a day I hoped I would never see in America. I don’t care if you’re a Democrat or a Republican this is a line we cannot cross as a nation — this is an unmistakable step toward authoritarianism.” Meanwhile, Homan appeared to soften his original statement, saying an arrest would only happen if a crime were committed by Newsom and Bass. “Well, that whole thing’s been taken out of context,” Homan said. “They haven’t crossed a line yet, but like any other U.S. citizen, if you cross that line, I don’t care who they are. The governor, the mayor, whatever — when you commit a crime against ICE officers, we will seek prosecution.” Newsom, who was first elected governor in 2018 and was re-elected in 2022, has drawn the ire of Trump for how he’s handled multiple issues in his state, including the wildfires that ravaged Los Angeles in January. FEDERAL OFFICIALS SLAM DEMOCRATS FOR ‘DANGEROUS’ RHETORIC AS ICE AGENTS FACE VIOLENT MOBS IN LA, NYC The two have sparred over Trump’s decision to deploy thousands of National Guard troops and 700 Marines to California after protests launched Friday in response to recent arrests in the city by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. While Trump has argued the National Guard troops are necessary to prevent destruction in Los Angeles, Newsom has said the deployment violated California’s state sovereignty. State governors usually oversee National Guard troops, but Trump invoked a law to place the troops under federal command so he could circumvent Newsom. On Monday, Newsom said most of the troops “are sitting, unused, in federal buildings without orders.” “This isn’t about public safety,” Newsom said in a Monday post on X. “It’s about stroking a dangerous President’s ego.” The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Amarillo breaks ground on psychiatric hospital, part of the state’s $1.5B investment in mental health
The facility will bring mental health resources closer to the largely rural region that’s home to nearly 436,000 people.
Anti-ICE riots force HUD offices to close weeks after ‘Squad’ Dem, Maxine Waters said Trump would close them
Three Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) field offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York City have temporarily closed their doors in the face of violence stemming from anti-ICE riots and protests, HUD confirmed to Fox News Digital on Tuesday. The temporary closures due to the violence come just weeks after Democrats such as California Rep. Maxine Waters and Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib claimed HUD field offices would permanently close due to Department of Government Efficiency efforts, with Waters saying such closures would affect “families and communities across the country who rely on HUD for housing assistance, community and economic development projects.” HUD Secretary Scott Turner exclusively told Fox News Digital on Tuesday that liberals’ claims in recent weeks that HUD would shutter field offices were “fake news” while lambasting Democrats for “encouraging riots” that have caused the three offices to temporarily shutter. “The left and legacy media spread fake news over false reports that HUD is closing field offices,” Turner told Fox News Digital Tuesday. “Now they’re encouraging riots that have actually forced at least three field offices to temporarily close.” ‘DELUSIONAL’ HILLARY CLINTON SAVAGELY MOCKED FOR LA RIOTS RESPONSE: ‘ONLY LEFTISTS DISABLE COMMENTS’ “Democrat-run blue states like California are suffering from failed leadership, resulting in record homelessness, unchecked illegal alien crime and, as we’re seeing now on full display, pandemonium, chaos and destruction,” he added. “The American people deserve better. HUD will continue to serve communities in the face of this reckless violence while prioritizing safety and security.” SEN KENNEDY TELLS DEMOCRATS TO ‘POP A ZOLOFT’ OVER TRUMP’S HANDLING OF LOS ANGELES ANTI-ICE RIOTS Now, three field offices are temporarily closed as riots and protests spiral in Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York City. Los Angeles has seen widespread riots since Friday, when federal law enforcement officials converged on the city to conduct immigration raids as part of President Donald Trump‘s campaign vow to deport the millions of illegal immigrants who crossed the border under the Biden administration. Other anti-ICE protests have broken out in New York City and San Francisco since the L.A. riots began, which have led to dozens of arrests. Fox News Digital obtained more than a dozen images showing graffiti strewn across a federal building in downtown L.A., which is home to a HUD field office. HUD’s satellite office is located just blocks from City Hall, where some of the violent riots have unfolded. Media outlets earlier in 2025 ran headlines that the Trump administration had plans to shutter dozens of HUD field offices across the country, which was reported as a potential violation of federal law as HUD must be represented in each state. Turner said on X on Tuesday that his department “hasn’t closed a single field office.” Waters led a group of Democrat lawmakers and anti-DOGE protesters in March in an attempt to enter HUD headquarters and hand-deliver a protest letter to Turner that demanded “answers on efforts to decimate federal housing programs.” NATIONAL GUARD TO BE DEPLOYED IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY AS ANTI-ICE PROTESTS RAGE: BORDER CZAR TOM HOMAN Waters, and a handful of other House Democrats, were permitted to enter HUD headquarters, while the California Democrat warned they would “stay all night” until they met with Turner, Breitbart News exclusively reported in March. HUD staffers informed the group they would deliver the letter to Turner, while Waters protested for a meeting with the HUD secretary. Tlaib also attempted to take part in the gaggle of lawmakers demanding to meet with Turner, but was seen stopped at HUD’s entrance in video footage. Tlaib was heard shouting,”You don’t give a sh–!” at HUD employees as the group of lawmakers and DOGE protesters ultimately left the building without meeting with Turner. A month after the HUD trip, Waters sent a letter in April to the Government Accountability Office’s comptroller and HUD’s acting inspector general calling for an investigation into allegations “the Administration plans to shut down local field offices and terminate housing agency staff.“ “I am concerned about what effects this will have on families and communities across the country who rely on HUD for housing assistance, community and economic development projects, as well as enforcement of federal fair housing and civil rights laws,” Waters wrote in the letter. SEN CORY BOOKER CALLS LOS ANGELES RIOTS ‘PEACEFUL,’ SLAMS TRUMP FOR DEPLOYING NATIONAL GUARD “Employees across approximately 54 field offices have localized expertise and work in communities to carry out face-to-face technical assistance, provide timely guidance to local grantees and officials to help speed up project timelines, and manage oversight and enforcement of federal statutes in each region,” she continued. “The Trump Administration’s proposal to close 34 field offices would severely disrupt federal housing programs, stall local development projects, and threaten the jobs of approximately 360 full-time employees.” Fox News Digital reached out to Waters’ and Tlaib’s respective offices inquiring whether they are still concerned about HUD office closures due to violence in the left-wing cities, but did not immediately receive responses. Riots broke out in L.A. on Friday evening after federal law enforcement officials converged on the city to carry out immigration raids. Local leaders such as Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Gov. Gavin Newsom quickly denounced the raids in public statements while offering words of support for illegal immigrants in the state. Protests over the raids soon devolved into violence as rioters targeted federal law enforcement officials, including launching rocks at officials, with videos showing people looting local stores, setting cars on fire and taking over a freeway. Trump announced on Saturday that he was deploying 2,000 National Guard members to help quell the violence, and the administration deployed hundreds of Marines to respond to anti-immigration chaos on Monday evening as the violence continued. “If I didn’t ‘SEND IN THE TROOPS’ to Los Angeles the last three nights, that once beautiful and great City would be burning to the ground right now,” Trump posted to Truth Social on Tuesday morning.
Republican attorneys general accuse California of excusing ‘lawlessness’
FIRST ON FOX: Nearly all Republican attorneys general blasted California’s Democratic leaders on Tuesday in a joint statement, accusing them of condoning criminal behavior and saying they left President Donald Trump with no choice but to activate thousands of National Guard soldiers. “In California, we’re seeing the results of leadership that excuses lawlessness and undermines law enforcement,” 26 attorneys general wrote in the statement, first provided to Fox News Digital. “When local and state officials won’t act, the federal government must.” The attorneys general said Trump’s decision to federalize the National Guard to address anti-immigration enforcement riots and protests that broke out in parts of Los Angeles County over the weekend was the “right response.” DEMS WALK BACK PRO-COP, LAW AND ORDER RHETORIC FROM J6 ERA IN THE FACE OF SPIRALING IMMIGRATION RIOTS Their remarks stand in direct contrast to those of Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom and other Democrats across the country, who widely condemned Trump’s decision to send the military into California as an unnecessary escalation. Newsom sued Trump over the move and accused the president of stripping California of its sovereignty. Presidents federalizing the National Guard, which is a state-based military force that falls under the dual control of governors and presidents, is rarely carried out without the consent of a governor. Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr, who led the attorneys general in issuing the statement, told Fox News Digital in a brief interview he felt Newsom was “gaslighting” the public by saying California’s local and state law enforcement had the unrest under control and did not need Trump to intervene. ‘STATE OF REBELLION’: EXPERT WEIGHS IN ON NEWSOM CHALLENGE TO TRUMP DEPLOYING NATIONAL GUARD “We all saw what was happening,” Carr said. “There were federal law enforcement officers that were being attacked by mobs. And in fact, I read articles where local law enforcement were saying they were overwhelmed and they needed help. My question is, why in the world would he not accept the help of the federal government at a time where there was mob rule, where there was arson that was taking place, where assaults were occurring, instead of coddling the criminals that are doing this again?” Carr said those opposed to the Trump administration’s immigration raids could “peacefully disagree with what the federal government is doing.” Newsom, for his part, alleged that Trump exacerbated the riots, echoing a position some criminal justice advocates take that an immediate show of force in response to intensifying protests is an ineffective approach. In Newsom’s lawsuit, attorneys wrote that Trump’s decision was not only unwise but also an unlawful and “unprecedented usurpation of state authority and resources.” Fox News Digital reached out to the California Attorney General’s Office for comment.
Billionaire ex-Mayor Bloomberg endorses Cuomo in NYC Democratic primary showdown
Former three-term New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg is taking sides in New York City’s Democratic mayoral race. Bloomberg, the billionaire entrepreneur and media magnate who launched a brief and unsuccessful run for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, endorsed former Gov. Andrew Cuomo Tuesday. The move came two weeks before the June 24 primary in the nation’s most populous city and four days ahead of the start of early voting June 14. “I care deeply about the future of our city, and since leaving office, it has been difficult to watch its struggles, especially since the pandemic. In sizing up the field in the race for mayor, there is one candidate whose management experience and government know-how stand above the others: Andrew Cuomo,” Bloomberg said in a statement. AOC BACKS RISING PROGRESSIVE CANDIDATE IN NYC DEM PRIMARY IN PUSH TO DEFEAT FRONTRUNNER CUOMO Bloomberg, in his statement, acknowledged past political “differences” with Cuomo during their overlapping tenures as New York City mayor and New York State governor. But he highlighted that “I also know his strengths as a leader and manager. Of all the candidates, Andrew has the skills our city needs to lead us forward.” ANDREW CUOMO THE BIGGEST TARGET AS NEW YORK CITY MAYORAL PRIMARY HEATS UP Fox News confirmed that Cuomo and Bloomberg met Monday to discuss the mayoral race after the former governor stopped by Bloomberg Media’s offices in New York City to record a radio segment. Cuomo, in a statement, called Bloomberg New York City’s “preeminent statesman” and highlighted that “after 9/11, when New York City was in crisis, torn apart and broken, under Mike Bloomberg’s leadership our city was rebuilt — both our buildings and our soul.” The former three-term governor, who resigned from office in 2021 amid multiple scandals, is aiming for political redemption as he works to pull off a campaign comeback. Cuomo has spent the past four years fighting to clear his name after 11 sexual harassment accusations, which he has repeatedly denied, forced his resignation. He was also under investigation at the time for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic amid allegations his administration vastly understated COVID-related deaths at state nursing homes. Last month, the Justice Department opened a criminal investigation into Cuomo after Republicans accused him of lying to Congress about the decisions he made as governor during the coronavirus pandemic. But thanks in part to his near-universal name recognition among New Yorkers, Cuomo was topping the mayoral polls even before he announced his candidacy March 1. Bloomberg, a lifelong Democrat, ran for mayor in 2001 and re-election in 2005 as a Republican. He had become an independent by the time he won a second re-election in 2009. Bloomberg later switched his voter registration back to the Democratic Party. Similar to Cuomo, Bloomberg is no fan of the Democratic Party’s left flank and is also a strong supporter of Israel. That may have been a motivating factor in Bloomberg’s endorsement of Cuomo, which comes as Zohran Mamdani has been rising in the most recent public opinion polls in the mayoral primary race and is now a clear second to Cuomo. Mamdani, a 33-year-old state assembly member from Queens, is a person of color and a democratic socialist who is originally from Uganda. His primary bid was boosted last week after landing an endorsement from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the progressive champion and New York City’s most prominent leader on the left. With multiple progressive candidates in the primary race, the endorsement of Mamdani by Ocasio-Cortez was seen as a move to unite fractured progressive voters toward a single candidate in an attempt to block the more moderate Cuomo from returning to power.