Take that, Andy

Blaz boosters dream of run vs. gov after primary vote tally

ALBANY — Despite the low turnout in last week’s mayoral primary, supporters of Mayor de Blasio were quick to point out that he received nearly as many votes in the city alone than Gov. Cuomo received statewide in his Democratic gubernatorial primary in 2014.

De Blasio (photo inset) received 326,321 votes last Tuesday in his victory over Sal Albanese while Cuomo, his chief political foe, picked up 361,380 statewide — including 202,943 in the city — in 2014 in a run against little-known and underfunded Fordham Law Prof. Zephyr Teachout.

That has left some giddy de Blasio progressive supporters suggesting the mayor should consider challenging Cuomo from the left in a Democratic primary next year. Others say the mayor was helped by a slight uptick in turnout thanks to anti-President Trump fervor and several contentious City Council races.

“There’s buzz,” said one progressive political operative. “I don’t think Bill has said anything. But with the enmity between these guys and the fact Bill gets a free pass to run, it seems unlikely, but not impossible. Bill definitely has a view of himself as having a larger mission in life outside of being mayor.”

He added: “The governor has repaired his polls numbers, but there’s still a sense he’s really vulnerable in a primary. I don’t know, quite frankly, if de Blasio is the guy to beat him, but those (primary results) show it would be a serious race.”

Cuomo already has more than $26 million in the bank while polls have consistently shown he is more popular than de Blasio — even in the city.

And despite those progressive activists who don’t view him as one of their own, Cuomo has polled well among liberals overall. DeBlasio, according to polls, is considered toxic outside New York City.

A number of insiders, including de Blasio supporters, believe there is zero chance he’ll take on Cuomo or even get actively involved in the race.

Many expect at most he’ll seek to undermine Cuomo with progressives by openly questioning his policies.

And don’t expect the mayor to jump in to aid his rival like he did in 2014 when he helped Cuomo secure the Working Families Party nomination.

“At the end of the day, the governor just has a ton of structural power over the state of the city, for better or worse,” one source said. “When you’re the mayor, you need him, not the other way around.

“He might end up doing what Cuomo’s been doing — find a way not to endorse him,” the source added. “But he’s not going to actively help (a challenger). It would be totally nuclear war. Now, it’s just a simmering cold war.”

A de Blasio spokesman pointed to the mayor’s previous statements that he’s focused on his own reelection this year and not the 2018 gubernatorial or 2020 presidential campaigns.

The spokesman noted that de Blasio has also pledged to serve a full four-year term if reelected.

lll The surprising loss by state Sen. Phil Boyle in last week’s GOP primary for Suffolk County sheriff potentially helps both Cuomo and Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan.

Flanagan (R-Suffolk County) for now has one less seat to worry about as the Republicans fight to keep their slim majority. And Cuomo avoids having to choose whether to aggressively help the Democrats try to claim the seat in a November special election.

lll Some miffed Queens Democrats are already talking about finding a challenger to Assemblyman Ron Kim for next year’s primary after his wife unsuccessfully challenged incumbent Councilman Peter Koo in last week’s primary.