Both men are progressive Democrats. But only one — Cuomo — is a reformer. He has described himself as “a progressive Democrat who’s broke.” While de Blasio reflexively panders to lefty special interest groups, Cuomo is willing to take them on. Case in point: The governor has embraced education reform, while the new mayor is shutting down charter schools as a payback to the unions that elected him.

Cuomo has also made cutting spending a top priority and has turned a $10 billion budget deficit into a projected surplus. He recently proposed $2 billion in tax cuts. He enjoys a 63% approval rating and is one of the nation’s most popular governors. He has achieved this while angering Democratic interest groups, including unions, who he believes played a big role in pushing New York toward bankruptcy.

It’s no coincidence that another of the country’s most popular governors is a progressive Democratic reformer who challenges party orthodoxy: Jerry Brown. The California governor inherited a state so close to collapse that it had been likened to Greece. Now it’s moving up the ranks of states in job creation. Brown has turned a $20 billion deficit into a surplus. In January he enjoyed a 58% approval rating, the highest of his tenure.