Zohran Mamdani endorsed by Brooklyn pastor who previously backed Andrew Cuomo
Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani gained the support Tuesday of a Brooklyn pastor who previously supported Andrew Cuomo in the race for City Hall.
Mamdani’s endorsement by Bishop Orlando Findlayter, whose congregation is located in East Flatbush, could help Mamdani make inroads with socially conservative black Democrats, a constituency in which he has had some difficulty gaining support.
Findlayter was seen as instrumental in mobilizing African-American support for former Mayor Bill de Blasio during the 2013 election. In a Tuesday afternoon appearance with Mamdani, the pastor said he was supporting him this year in large part because of Mamdani’s commitment to making the city more affordable.
“New York City is an expensive city. Frankly, it’s a city we can’t afford,” Findlayter said during an appearance at Medgar Evers College. “This is one of the many reasons why I am here today to give my full support to MP Zohran Mamdani to become the next mayor.”
Mamdani, who is the poll favorite to win the Nov. 4 election against Cuomo and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, said he was honored by Findlayter’s nod and added that he believes he “will only succeed in City Hall in building a more affordable New York, restoring the people’s faith in a democracy and making our city worthy of the great people who live here, if I am surrounded by great leaders and advisors myself.
Findlayter endorsed Cuomo’s candidacy in the June 28 Democratic mayoral primary, which Mamdani won by a margin of nearly 13 percent.
Cuomo is now running as an independent in next month’s general election, placing himself second behind Mamdani.
In a statement co-signed with dozens of other faith leaders, Findlayter said during the primary that he supported Cuomo because his “leadership reflects the values we hold dear: lifting up the marginalized, fighting for equity, and building a city where every person has the chance to thrive.”
Asked to comment on Findlayter’s announcement Tuesday, Cuomo spokesman Rich Azzopardi noted that some community and religious leaders who previously supported Mamdani have now decided to support Cuomo, including Fahad Solaiman, an imam from Queens. Azzopardi also noted that the former governor received support last weekend from more than 70 religious leaders from the five boroughs.
