Cuomo returned to the spotlight by running for the position of New York attorney general in 2006. Promising to crack down on corrupt state government officials and enforce environmental laws, he easily defeated his Republican opponent, Jeanine Pirro.

Working alongside New York Governor Eliot Spitzer, Cuomo earned praise for fulfilling his campaign pledge to address corruption, notably filing a civil lawsuit against New York Senate Majority Leader Pedro Espada Jr. for stealing $14 million from his nonprofit health clinic. Additionally, his investigations prompted reforms within the state pension system and national student loan organizations.

New York Governor

Following Spitzer's resignation in the wake of a prostitution scandal, and the struggles of his successor, David Paterson, Cuomo launched a second bid for the state's governorship in 2010. This time he emerged victorious, handily defeating his Republican opponent, Carl Paladino, to become the 56th governor of New York.

As New York's top executive, Cuomo became known for focusing on LGBT rights, women's rights and economic improvements. He made a point of submitting a balanced budget every year on schedule, and lowered corporate and manufacturing taxes to spur job growth. In July 2011, just two years after state lawmakers had rejected a marriage-equality law, the governor signed a bill that made New York the largest state to legalize same-sex marriage. Taking a stance on another controversial issue, he legalized medical marijuana in New York in September 2014.

In other areas, Cuomo had less success. He established what was supposed to be an independent commission to investigate state government corruption in July 2013, but the commission was hampered by infighting and pressure from the governor's office, before being abruptly shut down the following March. Additionally, Cuomo was accused of not doing enough to support fellow Democrats throughout the state.

Regardless, Cuomo easily won reelection in 2014. He defeated his Republican opponent, Rob Astorino, by earning approximately 54 percent of the vote.

Second and Third Terms

Not long after winning reelection, Cuomo took a bold step on a controversial environmental issue: He officially approved the New York Department of Environmental Conservation's call for a ban on hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, which is used to obtain natural gas and oil, making New York became the second state to ban the practice. 

Turning toward infrastructure, the governor in 2013 announced the beginning of formal construction of a replacement for the Tappan Zee Bridge over the Hudson River north of New York City. The renamed Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge opened one side for west/northbound traffic in August 2017, with the other direction becoming operational the following year.

Additionally, the governor unveiled a $4 billion renovation plan for LaGuardia Airport in Queens, holding a groundbreaking ceremony in June 2016. That year Cuomo also enacted legislation to speed up foreclosure of neglected "zombie properties," and published a Consumer Bill of Rights designed to protect homeowners facing foreclosure.

Although Trump and his political allies ran with the controversial aspect of his comments, Cuomo defeated Nixon in the primary and again cruised to victory in the general election, topping Republican Marc Molinaro with nearly 60 percent of the vote in November.

Cuomo waded back into controversial waters with the passage of the Reproductive Health Act in January 2019. Responding to critics who accused him of lifting virtually all restrictions on abortion, he clarified his position in a February op-ed inThe New York Times, emphasizing that the law permitted third-trimester abortions only when the woman's life or health were at risk.