Andrew Cuomo’s new plan to punish New Yorkers: He’s staying in the race

It’s official: Andrew Cuomo has decided to force New Yorkers to endure his whining and pleading and begging for votes for the remainder of the mayoral campaign. Ouch.

On Monday, the disgraced ex-gov announced he’ll continue his quest for City Hall by running as an independent.

Apparently, it isn’t enough that he was forced to step down as governor just a few years back by members of his own party.

Or that the was then he was soundly defeated in the mayoral primary — again, by members of his party.

You’d think maybe he’d get the message: Voters are just not that into you, Andrew.

Instead, Cuomo is insisting on making Gothamites put up with his preening and dissembling and waffling for the next four months, even as that forces them to recall all the pain he caused them as governor:

• Skyrocketing crime rates, thanks to his disastrous criminal-justice reforms.

• Soaring utility bills, thanks to an insane climate law he OK’d.

• Congestion pricing, which socks folks who drive into mid-Manhattan, like those from the outer boroughs.

• The COVID lockdowns and crazy rules (Cuomo chips, anyone?) and prolonged school closures that worsened learning loss among kids.

• And, of course, his fatal order forcing nursing homes to take in COVID-positive patients that almost certainly led to hundreds of preventable deaths.

No wonder New York’s share of the US population plunged during his years as governor, costing the state a congressional seat.

Now, Cuomo’s insistence on staying in the race, along with Mayor Eric Adams and Republican Curtis Sliwa, seems sure to deliver the election to socialist antisemite Zohran Mamdani. Thanks, again, Andrew.

Meanwhile, recent polls have found fully 70% of voters cite candidates other than Cuomo as their top choice.

Nor is he likely to recapture lefties by parroting the guy who beat him, Zohran Mamdani: In a new New York magazine column, Cuomo described himself as “anti-billionaire.” (An aide denied that, arguing the ex-gov’s words were taken out of context.)

Back in 1989, after Mayor Ed Koch lost his bid for reelection, he was asked if he’d ever run for office again. “No,” he replied. “The people have spoken … and they must be punished.”

Cuomo, by contrast, aims to punish the city by continuing to run.

New Yorkers should pray that at some point, he takes the hint.

Do us all a favor, Andrew: Just Cuo away.