Mayoral candidate Jessica Ramos shook up the race and endorsed her rival Andrew Cuomo on Friday.

The two former political rivals appeared together at a campaign event at a carpenters union headquarters in Manhattan Friday morning, where Ramos threw her support behind the former governor. 

"This year's race has really come down to two candidates," she said, referring to Cuomo and Queens Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, who have been polling in first and second place, respectively. "And only one of them has experience, toughness and the knowledge to lead New York through what's about to come. And that's Andrew Cuomo."

The state senator added that it "wasn't an easy decision, for all the reasons you already know."

"But it's a responsible decision. I looked at the field, I see people I respect, and I see energy and ideas," she said. "But we need much more than performative politics. Those are just not enough to run the greatest city in the world. This is about people's lives. We need results. We need experience, and someone who knows how to deliver under pressure."

Ramos, who was one of the first candidates to announce her candidacy for mayor last year, has failed to gain traction on the campaign trail, polling in the single digits and barely having campaign events.

Her campaign account has only $9,000 in it, according to the recent campaign finance filing. She also did not qualify for NY1’s debate scheduled for Thursday. Seven candidates will appear on the stage then.

Still, her backing of the former governor comes as a surprise.

In April, Ramos questioned Cuomo’s mental acuity, and she has always been to the left of many of Cuomo’s policies. In 2021, she called for his resignation during the sexual harassment scandals that eventually led to his downfall.

On a recent podcast, Ramos told NY1's Errol Louis: "Andrew Cuomo is no Mario Cuomo and I think the history books will show that."

When Cuomo launched his run for mayor, Ramos wrote on social media "Hard pass on Andrew" and posted a statement saying, in part: "If New Yorkers want a corrupt bully with a record of alleged sexual misconduct, supporting Republicans, selling out to developers and exacerbating crises, they can just stick with the current mayor."

Much of the labor and union support that had expected to go to Ramos went instead to Cuomo after he entered the race in March. Ramos is the chair of the state Senate’s labor committee and has always had a close working relationship with the city’s labor movement.

"Andrew Cuomo and I definitely don’t have the same style in governing, and I'm hoping that we are focused on tackling the very serious issue threat of Donald Trump upon our city," Ramos said at the endorsement event.

Cuomo said he wasn't concerned about what Ramos has said about him in the past.

"People say things in campaigns, it's part of the campaign process, so you take everything with a grain of salt," he said.

Ramos, a former staffer in Bill de Blasio’s administration, is the only Latina in the race and her name will still remain on the ballot.

Ramos’s endorsement of Cuomo is one of the first signs of collaboration in the crowded field of candidates — an indication that some will be strategizing on how to take advantage of the ranked-choice voting system.

Voters will be able to rank up to five candidates in the mayoral primary, and it will work to their strategic advantage to cross endorse one another. In 2021, Andrew Yang endorsed Kathryn Garcia, which boosted her candidacy. She placed second in the race behind Eric Adams.

Early voting starts June 14, with Election Day on June 25.