Letitia James vs. Andrew Cuomo for New York City Mayor? It Could Happen.

With Mayor Eric Adams’s future in doubt, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and his adversary Letitia James, the state attorney general, could find themselves in a battle for the city’s top job.

With Mayor Eric Adams’s political future shrouded in uncertainty, the New York attorney general, Letitia James, is considering whether to run to replace him, according to five people familiar with her thinking.

Ms. James views her potential candidacy as a way of helping New York City recover from the crisis unfolding under Mr. Adams, according to people who have spoken with her.

Her decision is far from assured and is not imminent; some close to her stressed her ambivalence, if not reluctance. But those urging Ms. James to run say the calculus might be altered if a different sullied political leader enters the race: the former governor she helped push out of office, Andrew M. Cuomo.

Ms. James, who would become the city’s first female mayor, has discussed a potential candidacy with multiple civic leaders, according to several people close to her. Concerns have been raised in those discussions that voters could elect Mr. Cuomo, who resigned in 2021 after a report from her office found that he had sexually harassed current and former employees.

In at least one of those conversations, the discussions included the possibility of other prominent Democrats stepping aside to allow her a clearer path to victory, according to one person who spoke with her. There are indications that some candidates would consider doing so.

Delaney Kempner, a spokeswoman for Ms. James, declined to comment on whether she might run for mayor. Ms. Kempner said that Ms. James had “delivered more for New Yorkers than any other attorney general, and she is focused on continuing that work to protect our communities.”

Neither Ms. James nor Mr. Cuomo is among the four Democrats who have already declared their intention to challenge Mr. Adams in next year’s primary. But they have both signaled their interest in running, especially if Mr. Adams were to resign and a special election were needed.

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Mr. Cuomo seems eager to find the right spot to attempt a comeback. His team has tested his favorability in polls, and he has given a series of speeches to Jewish groups and Black churches in New York, lamenting the city’s demise.

A matchup between Ms. James and Mr. Cuomo could be particularly acrimonious. They do not like each other, and Mr. Cuomo blames her for his downfall, accusing her of mishandling the investigation into the claims of sexual harassment against him.

Mr. Cuomo already appears ready for a fight. His spokesman, Rich Azzopardi, questioned Ms. James’s record and suggested that Gov. Kathy Hochul was behind the push to persuade Ms. James to run for mayor.

“Hochul is clearly trying to manipulate the situation to avoid Tish James running against her for governor, and based on her poll numbers I get it,” Mr. Azzopardi said in a statement. “At this rate, Trump could run against her and win.”

Mr. Azzopardi highlighted Mr. Cuomo’s accomplishments, including legalizing same-sex marriage and building infrastructure projects such as the Second Avenue subway. He warned that Ms. James had “inexplicably escaped professional and personal scrutiny for years, and you can’t continue to do that on this stage.”

Anthony Hogrebe, a spokesman for Ms. Hochul, declined to respond to the Cuomo team’s comments, saying that the governor was “focused on doing what’s best for New Yorkers and ensuring New York City’s government continues to effectively serve all residents. We’ll leave the name-calling and conspiracy theories to others.”

Ms. James, a popular moderate with strong ties to unions, is the first Black woman to win statewide office in New York. She briefly ran for governor in 2021 against Ms. Hochul, but ended her one-month campaign after struggling to raise money and secure prominent endorsements.

Ms. James has often found herself in a position to step up because of political scandal or tragedy. After James E. Davis, a councilman from central Brooklyn, was murdered at City Hall in 2003, Ms. James became the first third-party candidate since the 1970s to win a City Council seat, launching her career as an elected official.

She succeeded Bill de Blasio as New York City’s fourth public advocate, and was later elected attorney general after Eric T. Schneiderman resigned in disgrace following allegations of sexual abuse.

Yet her decision whether to run for mayor is complicated. While the job carries prestige and power, it is also famously difficult and demanding, and Ms. James may be reluctant to leave a position where she has won fame for securing a $454 million civil fraud judgment against former President Donald J. Trump and helping to dismantle the leadership of the National Rifle Association.

Kathryn Wylde, the president of the pro-business Partnership for New York City who has so far supported Mr. Adams, had a contentious relationship with Mr. Cuomo and said that Ms. James would be an appealing candidate.

“If the mayor were unable to run for re-election, she could be a consensus candidate that business and labor could get behind,” she said.

Mr. Adams has repeatedly insisted that he will finish his term and run for re-election, even as he faces a federal corruption indictment and a near constant series of resignations and investigations of his inner circle.

Asked on Wednesday about Ms. James’s potential candidacy, Mr. Adams, at an event in the Bronx, smiled before answering. “Being mayor is competitive,” he said. “Everyone should have an opportunity to put their message out.”

But many Democrats are preparing for a post-Adams future at City Hall, especially after federal prosecutors indicated last week that Mr. Adams could face additional charges. Roughly 69 percent of New Yorkers now want him to resign, according to a Marist poll released last week.

Conversations about Ms. James’s potential candidacy for mayor began after Mr. Adams’s indictment. Union leaders began calling her to gauge her interest.

Keith L.T. Wright, chair of the Manhattan Democratic Party, called Ms. James a valued public servant who would have an immediate effect on the contest for mayor.

“Whatever office she decides to run for,” Mr. Wright said, “she would be a more than formidable candidate.”

If Mr. Cuomo runs for mayor, his critics are worried that his reputation of being a ruthless but effective manager could lure enough voters to defeat the current mayoral candidates and Jumaane Williams, the public advocate who would become mayor if Mr. Adams were to resign or be removed.

At his recent appearances at Black churches, Mr. Cuomo has criticized the status quo and questioned whether the current crop of city and state leaders was working for everyday New Yorkers.

“People are afraid to take the subway,” he said last month at Bedford Central Presbyterian Church in Brooklyn. The state, he added, had not done enough to help the city with the influx of more than 200,000 migrants.

The current mayoral candidates have taken notice. One of them, Scott M. Stringer, a former city comptroller, released a memo on Tuesday questioning Mr. Cuomo’s viability and said his name recognition was the main factor driving his support.

“Asking voters to replace a mayor who may in the near future resign in scandal with a governor who not that long ago resigned in scandal (and under threat of impeachment) is still a very, very tough sell,” said Mr. Stringer, whose 2021 mayoral campaign was derailed by sexual misconduct allegations.

Roughly 55 percent of New York City residents do not want Mr. Cuomo to run for mayor, the Marist poll found. Among Democrats, 52 percent think that the former governor should not run versus 48 percent who think that he should.

John Samuelsen, the head of the 150,000-member Transport Workers Union of America and an ally of Mr. Adams, said that Ms. James would have broad union support in any election.

“Whatever office she runs for, she’ll win it,” he said.

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