He Nearly Ended Cuomo’s Career. Now He Says His Ex-Rival Should Be Mayor.

New York|He Nearly Ended Cuomo’s Career. Now He Says His Ex-Rival Should Be Mayor.

Former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo may not yet have entered the race for mayor of New York City, but his campaign in waiting received its most significant endorsement on Saturday from H. Carl McCall, a Black elder statesman who was once Mr. Cuomo’s best-known rival.

In an open letter, Mr. McCall did not mention the current officeholder, Mayor Eric Adams, by name. But he said that a head-spinning series of events surrounding the Justice Department’s move to drop federal corruption charges against Mr. Adams had called into question his independence from President Trump and necessitated new leadership.

“New York cannot be represented by someone whose loyalty to the city is compromised,” Mr. McCall wrote.

“I have never publicly urged a candidate to run for office. But I have never before felt it so necessary to use my voice,” he continued. “For these reasons, I urge Gov. Andrew Cuomo to run for mayor of the City of New York, and I offer my full support.”

The letter came as Mr. Cuomo, who resigned his governorship in scandal in 2021, is taking increasingly decisive steps toward launching a comeback campaign for mayor in the coming weeks.

And it was the latest indication that the once unshakable bond between the city’s second Black mayor and its Black political establishment may be crumbling after the prosecutor overseeing the mayor’s case charged that he had agreed to a quid pro quo with Trump administration officials. Andrea Stewart-Cousins, the State Senate majority leader, joined the chorus of Black leaders calling for his resignation later Saturday.