Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Re-Election Odds Tank Amid Nursing Home Scandal

• New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s odds to win re-election in 2022 have dropped amid a recent scandal
• Cuomo is now at +150 to win re-election in 2022
• Cuomo reportedly covered up the nursing home death toll from the pandemic last spring

It wasn’t all that long ago that Andrew Cuomo was one of the most popular politicians in America. New York’s Governor drew positive reviews for the leadership he showed last spring as his state was dealing with the brunt of the pandemic in the US. Cuomo’s daily press briefings gave many people a sense that everything would be okay in the end.

However, things have taken a turn for the worst with regard to Gov. Cuomo’s popularity. Recent investigations have revealed that Cuomo was underreporting some of the death tolls from the early days of the pandemic. Cuomo’s decision to underreport the severity of the outbreak in nursing homes around the state has drawn serious public backlash.

Cuomo’s rapid popularity surge last year led many to wonder whether a run for the White House could be in his future. Those new revelations, though, have effectively torpedoed his chances of winning re-election should he run for re-election in 2022.

Re-Election Odds On the Decline

According to BetOnline, Cuomo is now an underdog when it comes to next year’s gubernatorial race. Cuomo’s odds to win re-election now sit at +150, while his chances of losing now sit at -200.

It’s still too early to say definitively one way or the other whether Cuomo stands a chance to win re-election. That election won’t take place until November of 2022. The political news cycle is a 24/7 frenzy these days, and things can change in an instant. By the time that election comes around, there’s no telling how Cuomo’s resume will look.

The poll found that 47 percent say it’s time for someone new in the governor’s office, while 41 percent said he deserves re-election.https://t.co/THqVShpG6F

— WOR NewsTalk Radio (@710WOR) February 12, 2021

A recent poll found that 47 percent of New Yorkers believe the state needs a new Governor, while another 41 percent support his case for re-election. Letitia James, Alexandria-Ocasio Cortez, and Elise Stefanik are among those that may be looking to primary Cuomo in next year’s gubernatorial race.

Cuomo’s administration initially reported that 8,500 people died in nursing homes due to the pandemic last year. However, one of Cuomo’s top aides recently revealed that the actual nursing home death toll was north of 15,000.

That aide, Melissa DeRosa, recently told Democratic congresspeople,

“We were in a position where we weren’t sure if what we were going to give to the Department of Justice, or what we give to you guys, and what we start saying, was going to be used against us and we weren’t sure if there was going to be an investigation.”

Cuomo’s Questionable Political Future

Cuomo was more than happy to deride the way the Trump administration handled the early days of the pandemic, so there is plenty of egg on his face in light of these latest revelations. Elected officials from both parties have publicly lambasted Cuomo in the days since the story came out.

Just last month, some politics betting sites had Cuomo as one of the frontrunners among Democrats to earn the party’s presidential nomination in 2024. Some believe Joe Biden will decide against running for re-election due to his age, which could open the door for a new candidate to lead the party ahead of the next election cycle.

Cuomo was viewed as one of the party’s rising stars, but this new scandal may ultimately doom his chances. As of January 21, Cuomo was listed at +5000 to win the 2024 presidential election. That put him fifth among prospective Democratic candidates, trailing only Kamala Harris (+350), Biden (+450), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (+1600), and Pete Buttigieg (+3300).