New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo just resigned – and it’s actually bad news for Donald Trump

| 12:35 pm EDT August 10, 2021
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New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced his resignation a few moments ago, effective in two weeks. There has been widespread disagreement among Democrats as to whether Cuomo deserved to be forced out. But this article is going to address the practical matter of how Cuomo’s resignation impacts the New York Governor election in 2022 – and why it’s actually bad news for Donald Trump.

If Cuomo had insisted on seeking reelection, or even just insisted on finishing out his term, the Democrats would have gone into the 2022 gubernatorial primary without an incumbent in place. This would have set up a wacky primary in which some unelectable stunt candidate could have accidentally ended up with the Democratic nomination – which would be the only way that a Republican could end up winning the general election.

In addition, if Cuomo were still Governor at the time of the election, his scandals would still have been fresh in the minds of swing voters, and the Republican nominee could have used his scandals effectively against whoever ends up being the Democratic nominee.

By resigning now, Andrew Cuomo has given the incumbency to current New York Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul, who will become Governor in two weeks. This gives her a clear path to becoming the 2022 nominee, and sharply reduces the already-small odds of a Republican somehow ending up becoming Governor.

Donald Trump’s only hope of getting pardoned on state charges in New York would be if a Republican becomes Governor in 2022. But Cuomo’s resignation makes that scenario highly unrealistic. So this is bad news for Trump.