The first woman to publicly come forward with sexual harassment allegations against former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is considering a run for the New York City Council.
Lindsey Boylan was the first woman to accuse Cuomo of sexual harassment, alleging he forcibly kissed her and made inappropriate suggestions while she worked in his administration. She resigned in 2018.
Democrat insiders told the New York Post in a story published Thursday that Boylan is weighing a campaign for a City Council seat.
The seat is currently held by Erik Bottcher, who had been considering a run in next year's crowded Democratic primary to succeed Rep. Jerry Nadler after Nadler said he would not seek reelection.
Bottcher later opted out of that race and announced plans to run for the state Senate instead.
"I cannot think of a community I care more about and I'm absolutely exploring if I can rise to the occasion for this moment," Boylan told the Post.
"It's been an honor and a lot of fun in the short time I've been talking to people in our community."
Criminal investigations into Cuomo's alleged harassment were closed because of insufficient evidence, the Post reported. However, a report released by Attorney General Letitia James concluded that Cuomo sexually harassed 11 women.
Cuomo denied all allegations but resigned from office in August 2021.
In November, Cuomo lost New York City's mayoral election to Zohran Mamdani, a self-described democratic socialist. Boylan supported Mamdani's campaign.
According to the Post, the district Boylan would compete in includes parts of the West Village and Hell's Kitchen.
Other declared candidates include Bottcher's chief of staff, Carl Wilson; Manhattan Community Board 4 member Leslie Boghosian Murphy; and Layla Law-Gisiko, president of The City Club of New York, a group that promotes good governance and transparency.
Manhattan Democrat consultant Chris Sosa told the Post that Boylan would be a formidable contender.
"She'd be an exciting and dynamic voice in the race to many progressives, both on a policy level and because of her history of being downright fearless in the face of power," he said.
This would be Boylan's second run for political office. In 2020, she unsuccessfully challenged Nadler in the Democratic primary, winning 21.9% of the vote.
Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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