Cuomo losing power and allies as crisis deepens

A small, but expanding, coterie of Democratic lawmakers called on Mr. Cuomo to step down, as did the state Working Families Party, which has frequently clashed with the governor. Among some donors, there was an increasing sense of discomfort with reports of Mr. Cuomo’s behavior and uncertainty around his future, with one active Democratic donor describing a growing instinct to “hedge their bets.”

Representative Lee Zeldin, a Long Island Republican, announced on Tuesday that he was “actively exploring” a run for governor.

Still, for all that, one major bulwark to any forced departure — the Democrat-dominated statehouse, which could impeach him — appeared to be holding, for now at least. Impeachment would require mass defections by Democrats in both the State Assembly and the Senate, which seemed unlikely as of Tuesday…

Mr. Cuomo’s outsize presence in state politics seems to be cutting both ways in his current political crisis: Many privately express spite toward him, but few in his party have dared to take him on. The promised investigation of Mr. Cuomo’s behavior has given many elected officials political cover, allowing them to express concern about the allegations, while asserting that they are still, at this point, just that: allegations, albeit from three women who have given on-the-record accounts.