Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo warned Monday that Republicans could sweep future state races if Democratic rival Zohran Mamdani wins the New York City mayoral race in November.

While making his case, Cuomo was asked on CNBC’s "Squawk Box" whether he was considered "President [Donald] Trump’s choice", referencing reports that Trump advisors discussed offering campaign rival Eric Adams a cabinet position to boost Cuomo’s chances.

Cuomo denied the idea, claiming Republicans would be thrilled to see Mamdani win the election and use it to their advantage in 2026.

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"That’s ludicrous, right? If you’re a Republican, you are praying for Mamdani to win," Cuomo said. "If Mamdani wins, they can use that against the Democrats all across the country. Mamdani wins, they’ll say the Democratic Party has been taken over by socialists. And here’s the position of the socialists. They’re against business. They would raise taxes. Everything is free. Disband the police, legalize prostitution, abolish jails." 

He continued, "They would win all sorts of seats here in New York with that. I believe they’d pick up congressional seats. They might pick up the governorship."

Fox News Digital reached out to Mamdani’s campaign for comment.

A self-described democratic socialist, Mamdani has championed several progressive proposals in his campaign, including city-run grocery stores and free public transit.

However, Mamdani claimed Sunday that he has since "evolved" past some progressive ideas he’s pushed in old tweets, such as calls to "defund the police." He told CBS New York chief political correspondent Marcia Kramer that those ideas were "out of step with the campaign that [he’s] running."

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"My answer is that many of my opponents, chiefly Andrew Cuomo, would prefer to debate a mythical version of myself rather than the person I actually am," Mamdani said. "They would prefer to focus on tweets from 2020 instead of the platform of 2025. They do that because they know our ideas are popular, and what we are putting forward responds to New Yorkers’ needs in ways that go beyond the failed policies they’ve heard from these old politicians."

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Though Cuomo cast himself as the only candidate who could beat Mamdani head-to-head, an August Siena College poll found him trailing by 19 points.