Andrew Cuomo

Andrew Mark Cuomo (born December 6 1957) is an American lawyer and public servant who held the position of United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development from 1997 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. Prior to his cabinet appointment, he worked in state government and private practice, including a tenure as chair of New York City’s Homeless Commission and service as assistant secretary at HUD. After leaving federal office, Cuomo continued a career that encompassed roles such as attorney general of New York and governor of the same state.

Early life and career

Andrew Mark Cuomo was born on December 6, 1957, in the borough of Queens, New York. His parents were lawyer Mario Cuomo—who would later serve as governor of New York—and Matilda Raffa. The family traced its ancestry to Southern Italy; his paternal grandparents originated from Nocera Inferiore and Tramonti in the Campania province, while his maternal grandparents hailed from Messina in Sicily. He grew up in the Holliswood neighborhood of Queens and attended Archbishop Molloy High School, a private Catholic preparatory school, graduating in 1975.

Cuomo pursued higher education at Fordham University, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1979. He then enrolled at Albany Law School, where he received his Juris Doctor in 1982. Following law school, he resided in Sunnyside, Queens for five years while establishing his early legal career.

During the successful gubernatorial campaign of his father in 1982, Cuomo served as campaign manager and subsequently joined the governor’s staff as a policy advisor. In the mid‑1980s he worked briefly as an assistant district attorney in Manhattan (1984–1985) before spending time at the law firm Blutrich, Falcone & Miller. He founded Housing Enterprise for the Less Privileged (HELP) in 1986 and devoted himself to the organization full‑time by 1988.

From 1990 to 1993, while New York City was under Mayor David Dinkins, Cuomo chaired the city’s Homeless Commission. In that capacity he helped develop policies aimed at addressing homelessness and expanding housing options within the metropolis. His experience in both state and municipal government set the stage for his subsequent entry into federal service.

Cabinet tenure

Cuomo entered federal service in 1993 as assistant secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). In this role, he assisted in overseeing programs designed to provide affordable housing, support community development initiatives, and administer federal assistance for urban renewal projects. His work involved managing housing vouchers, public housing authorities, and grants to local governments for neighborhood revitalization efforts.

In 1997, President Bill Clinton appointed Cuomo as the United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, a position he held until 2001. The Senate confirmed his appointment; however, no specific vote tally is recorded in the available sources. As secretary, Cuomo oversaw HUD’s broad portfolio, which continued to administer housing vouchers, manage public housing authorities, and distribute grants for community development and urban renewal. He also guided the department’s efforts to expand access to affordable housing across the United States during a period of significant federal investment in urban infrastructure.

Legacy

Cuomo’s service as secretary of HUD contributed to the continuation of federal policies aimed at expanding access to affordable housing and promoting urban development during the late 1990s. His experience in both state and federal government helped shape a career that would later see him occupy prominent positions within New York, including attorney general and governor.

As governor of New York from 2011 until his resignation in 2021, Cuomo signed legislation to legalize same‑sex marriage and the recreational use of cannabis. His administration oversaw major infrastructure projects such as the Second Avenue Subway, the Moynihan Train Hall, the reconstruction of the Tappan Zee Bridge, and improvements to LaGuardia Airport. He also decommissioned the Indian Point nuclear plant, a decision that had environmental implications for greenhouse gas emissions.

In response to gun violence incidents, Cuomo signed the NY SAFE Act in 2013, establishing stringent gun control measures. His administration delivered Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act, enacted a tax law raising taxes on the wealthy while lowering taxes for the middle class, introduced a 12‑week paid family leave program, and gradually increased the state’s minimum wage to $15 per hour.

Cuomo’s tenure was not without controversy. During the COVID‑19 pandemic, his administration faced criticism for ordering nursing homes to admit patients from hospitals without adequate testing, an action linked to significant mortality in long‑term care facilities. A 2021 report by State Attorney General Letitia James found that the Cuomo administration had undercounted COVID‑19‑related deaths at nursing homes by as much as fifty percent. Subsequent investigations examined his handling of the pandemic and his testimony on related reports.

Beginning in late 2020, Cuomo faced numerous allegations of sexual misconduct. An independent investigation commissioned by Attorney General James concluded in August 2021 that he had sexually harassed at least eleven women between 2013 and 2020 and retaliated against victims who reported his conduct. Following the release of this report, widespread calls for resignation emerged, leading to Cuomo’s resignation from office on August 23, 2021 amid an impeachment investigation.

After leaving the governorship, criminal investigations in several New York counties were closed without charges being filed, while a charge in Albany County was dropped in 2022. In 2025, Cuomo pursued a political comeback by running for mayor of New York City as an independent after initially entering the Democratic primary; he ultimately lost to Zohran Mamdani in both the primary and general elections.

Cuomo’s legacy is multifaceted: his early work on housing policy at HUD laid groundwork for federal affordable‑housing initiatives, while his governorship produced significant legislative achievements and infrastructure projects that reshaped New York State. At the same time, controversies surrounding public health responses and allegations of misconduct have continued to influence public perception of his career in public service.