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BloombergBusinessweek December 21, 2020Edited by
Amanda Kolson Hurley APPHOTO(4);GETTYIMAGES(3);REDUX(1)● Andrew Cuomo’s and Phil
Murphy’s popularity comes up
against a Covid-19 resurgenceIs America Tired
Of Governors Yet?
ontherise,theirbriefingshavebecomemore
frequent.Andthistimethemessageis starkerthan
washingyourhandsandkeeping 6 feet of distance.
It’s about reminding weary
citizens they must wear
masksindoorsandoutand
avoidevensmallishholi-
dayget-togethers.It’salso
aboutconvincingpeople
ofthesafetyofa vaccine
thatwasapprovedinrecordtimeunderintense
politicalpressure.
Duringthefirstwaveofthepandemic,Cuomo’s
111 straightdaysofbriefingsdrew 59 millionTV
viewersandearnedhimthenickname“America’s
Governor.”EntertainmentWeeklycalledhim“the
herothatAmericaneverrealizedit neededuntil
hewason ourtelevisionscreenseverynight.”
RollingStoneputhimonthecoverofitsMayissue,
praisinghimas“theblunt-talkingadultintheroom.”
Murphy,a retiredGoldmanSachsGroupInc.
seniordirectorandanambassador
toGermanyunderPresidentBarack
Obama, saw his approval rating
jump by 30 points and his social
media followers triple with the brief-
ings. Murphy returned from cancer
surgery in mid-March, weeks earlier
than planned, to direct his state’s virus assault.
He also scored praise for keeping his cool as foul-
mouthed restaurant patrons descended on him
and his family when they were dining out.
Both governors deny aspirations for a job in
Washington. Cuomo, who served in President Bill
Clinton’s cabinet as secretary of the U.S. Department
of Housing and Urban Development, has said he’s
not interested in running for president or becoming
President-elect Joe Biden’s attorney general. Murphy
has said he wants to stay in New Jersey, and he’s run-
ning for a second term in 2021.
Their paths so far resemble those of two other
former officeholders, both Republicans, hailed
for their crisis leadership: New York City MayorTheDemocraticgovernors
of New York and New Jersey
gained national profiles
and saw their approval rat-
ings rise at home by making
toughdecisionsthathelped
quelltheinitialphaseofthe
coronavirus outbreak. Their states were the hard-
est hit when Covid-19 first reached the U.S., and
their daily briefings, shared on national television
and social media, were followed by people crav-
ing answers.
New York’s Andrew Cuomo and New Jersey’s
Phil Murphy weren’t the only governors to hold
daily briefings on the emerging pandemic. But
on April 1 their states combined had about
106,000oftheU.S.totalof213,000cases.Sothey
becamedefactoleadersinthefight.Theirsteady,
science-based briefings offered a marked con-
trast to those of President Trump, who has touted
unproven treatments and downplayed the serious-
ness of the outbreak.
“What voters expect from leaders in this kind
ofcrisisis constantcommunication,reliableand
accurateinformation,a steadinessandcalmnessin
yourdemeanor,anddefinitivedecision-making,”
says Ben Dworkin, director of the Institute for
Public Policy and Citizenship at Rowan University.
Now Cuomo and Murphy must steer their states
through an escalating winter surge in coronavirus
cases. As the second wave accelerates, they face a
frustrated public, big budget holes, and pressure
to deliver vaccine doses—twice—to millions in what
will be the biggest inoculation effort in U.S. history.
When New York and New Jersey began to
recover over the summer, Cuomo and Murphy
stopped their daily updates. Now, with cases back