According to a Cuomo staffer at the party, Cuomo expressed his gratitude to his early supporters, and recognized that their backing was no small thing considering his 2002 misadventure. He singled out the support of Council Speaker Christine Quinn, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, and Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion, and said, according to the staffer, that the "easier" thing to do at the time would have been to sit out the race or back a different horse.

Mario Cuomo picked up on the theme and emphasized that he knew a thing or two about people sticking their neck out for him early. In 1982, he recalled, support was heavily lined up behind Ed Koch.

We'll see how Cuomo interacts with those officials who, like the governor-elect, waited until later in the game to endorse him.

--Jason Horowitz