Jeffries backs Mamdani for NYC mayor months after primary
NEW YORK– House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries endorsed Zohran Mamdani for mayor of New York on Friday, saying he respected the will of primary voters and young people inspired by the Democratic Socialist congressman’s candidacy.
Jeffries, who represents Brooklyn, refused for months to formally endorse Mamdani, who upended New York’s political establishment by handing former New York Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo a resounding and stunning defeat in the June primary.
Cuomo is still running in the November general election, but as an independent. Republican Curtis Sliwa is also on the ballot, as is Mayor Eric Adams, although the embattled Democrat dropped out of the race last month and supported Cuomo.
While acknowledging that he had “points of principled disagreement” with his party’s mayoral candidate, Jeffries said Democrats have a “clear obligation to combat” Republican extremism, calling it a “national nightmare,” in a statement.
“Donald Trump should have no space to haunt the people of New York,” Jeffries said, adding that the communities he represents in Brooklyn “are being devastated by this extreme version of the Republican Party.”
Jeffries’ tactical decision to support Mamdani is a show of support for a unified Democratic ticket. However, it is also expected to draw criticism from the GOP. Republicans have repeatedly highlighted Mamdani’s most controversial past comments and positions, portraying him as dangerous, communist and anti-Semitic, and trying to link him to other Democratic officials.
President Donald Trump called Mamdani a communist.
Jeffries credited Mamdani with focusing on the “affordability crisis” in his campaign and expressing his commitment to serving all New Yorkers, including the Jewish community which has faced an increase in anti-Semitic incidents.
Last month, Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul endorsed Mamdani, saying the two differed on some issues but came together on the importance of solving the affordability crisis in the city and across the state. At the time, he was one of Mamdani’s most important supporters in his mayoral bid.
