NEW YORK — Rudy Giuliani won two terms as mayor, but in the years since, has fallen from grace in the eyes of many New Yorkers. Now his son, Andrew, is betting that the family name still has some political currency. 

What You Need To Know

  • Andrew Giuliani announced his campaign for governor Tuesday

  • He framed himself as a pro-business candidate who will cut taxes and red tape, support school choice and fight crime

  • Giuliani has not previously held office but spent four years in the Trump administration in the Office of Public Liaison
  • He says his father will play a public role in the campaign, telling reporters: "There's no more effective playbook than the Giuliani playbook”

On Tuesday, he launched his bid for governor with a campaign kickoff video, a website and a news conference in Battery Park where he framed himself as a pro-business candidate who will cut taxes and red tape.

 

"In a Governor Giuliani, you will get somebody who will light the economic furnace of New York,” he said.

Giuliani worked in the Trump administration in the Office of Public Liaison. He does not emphasize his Trump ties, but doesn't downplay them either.

"I worked four years in the White House for President Trump,” Giuliani said. “I'll say that right now. I'm not running from it, I'm not hiding from it."

Part of Giuliani's pitch is bashing Gov. Andrew Cuomo. On policy, he promises to support school choice and to tackle crime.

"In a Governor Giuliani, you will get somebody that has a strategy to reduce crime in a record-setting fashion,” he said. “I've heard that before from somewhere. I think his name was Giuliani also."

It's just one way Giuliani is embracing his father, who makes several cameos in his campaign video. The former mayor will play a public role in the campaign, Andrew says, and is helping shape strategy.

"You've got the greatest mayor not just in the history of New York, but in the history of America. You're foolish if you don't use him as an asset,” he said. 

He added: "There's no more effective playbook than the Giuliani playbook. And we will be implementing the Giuliani playbook to make sure that we can turn around New York state."

The Republican field already includes two formidable opponents: Long Island Congressman Lee Zeldin, a Trump loyalist, and former Westchester County executive Rob Astorino, the Republican nominee for governor in 2014. 

The state's Republican chairman on Tuesday praised Mayor Giuliani’s leadership.

"Perhaps Andrew Giuliani could be the one to bring that kind of leadership to New York state on a statewide basis,” he said. “Time will tell." 

It's unclear who the winner of the Republican primary will be facing next year. Cuomo had intended to run for re-election to a fourth term, but it remains to be seen whether that campaign could be derailed by his ongoing scandals.

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