Cuomo lost to Mamdani in the city’s Democratic mayoral primary earlier this summer, but has indicated he plans to stay in the race, running as an Independent in the general election.

On Thursday, Cuomo trash-talked his rival on X while invoking his own father, Mario Cuomo, and grandfather, Andrea Cuomo. Mario Cuomo served three terms as governor of New York in the ’80s and ’90s, while Andrea Cuomo was a grocer in Queens.

“In case you forgot, I’m Andrew Cuomo, son of Mario, grandson of Andrea,” Cuomo wrote on X. “Welcome to the heavyweight bout, @ZohranKMamdani. This is a two man race. You look tired already. It’s just the second round.”

McCain, who has never shied away from bringing up her own father, the late Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain, was not impressed by the bold declaration.

“You lost a primary and Mamdani is going to beat you in the general by like 80 points because you’re lazy, corrupt, entitled and thought you were owed it – literally every single thing the American public is repulsed by,” she wrote on X. “Your legacy is nothing more than an out of touch loser.”

Cuomo’s boast came two hours after a post in which he criticized Mamdani for living in a rent-regulated apartment that costs $2,300 a month. The ex-governor claimed that the apartment should instead go to a hypothetical “single mother and her children” who are currently residing in “a homeless shelter.”

McCain, a Republican who has expressed opposition to President Donald Trump, made it clear that her comments don’t mean she’s a fan of Mamdani. When asked if she supported Mamdani, she responded, “I would rather eat glass.”