House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries on Friday endorsed Zohran Mamdani to serve as the next mayor of New York City after months of dodging questions about his stance on the 34-year-old Democratic socialist.
The minority leader issued a written endorsement of Mamdani, the Democratic nominee in the mayoral contest, less than one day before the start of early voting. Jeffries’ public display of support comes after Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders — two figures widely viewed as the leaders of the party’s far-left flank — sharply criticized the minority leader for dragging his feet on an endorsement.
“Zohran Mamdani has relentlessly focused on addressing the affordability crisis and explicitly committed to being a mayor for all New Yorkers, including those who do not support his candidacy,” Jeffries wrote in a statement to the New York Times. “In that spirit, I support him and the entire citywide Democratic ticket in the general election.”
Jeffries also justified his eleventh-hour endorsement as a repudiation of President Donald Trump, describing him as an “existential” threat to the party.
National Democrats, including Jeffries, have been leery of embracing Mamdani following his upset over former Democratic New York governor Andrew Cuomo in the June primary contest.
However, a growing number of Democrats have rolled out endorsements in recent weeks as Mamdani’s commanding polling lead appears insurmountable and he attempts to moderate some of his previously held positions.
Mamdani glossed over that early reluctance in a statement on Friday afternoon responding to the endorsements.
“This campaign has always been about bringing people together to improve the quality of life for every New Yorker,” he said. “I welcome Leader Jeffries’ support and look forward to delivering a city government, and building a Democratic Party, relentlessly committed to our affordability agenda — and to fighting Trump’s authoritarianism. Our movement to turn the page on the politics of big money and small ideas grows stronger by the day.”
Many GOP strategists see Mamdani’s likely mayoral victory as a potential gift to Republicans ahead of the midterm elections. Trump and other Republican leaders have strongly criticized the prominent Democrat’s far-left policies, and the president has repeatedly referred to him as a “communist.”
The National Republican Congressional Committee, House Republicans’ campaign arm, slammed Jeffries for endorsing Mamdani’s mayoral campaign less than one day before the start of early voting.
“So-called ‘Leader’ Hakeem Jeffries has officially surrendered to Zohran Mamdani and the socialist mob now running the Democrat Party,” NRCC Spokesman Mike Marinella said in a statement. “Their far-left takeover has torched Democrats’ hopes of retaking the House and turned their agenda into pure electoral poison.”
The New York Republican Party also issued a scathing statement following the endorsement from Jeffries.
“In an act of supreme cowardice and capitulation, Democrats’ Minority Leader in Congress just threw his lot in with an openly Communist, anti-Semitic, defund-the-police, globalize-the-intifada extremist,” New York Republican Party chair Ed Cox said. “Every elected Democrat — in New York and nationally — must answer this question: do you stand with Zohran Mamdani or do you stand with the principles upon which our republic was founded?”
RNC spokeswoman Delanie Bomar also weighed in, saying in a statement that Jeffries’ endorsement would only help Republicans. “Thank you, Hakeem Jeffries, for the in-kind contribution,” Bomar said. “He has made our lives easier by directly connecting every vulnerable Democrat to socialist Mamdani’s out-of-touch politics.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has yet to endorse Mamdani, but has repeatedly told reporters he will continue to have conversations with the democratic socialist.
Last Friday, Mamdani was seen campaigning at a mosque alongside Siraj Wahhaj — a Muslim cleric who, among others, prosecutors claimed “may be alleged to be co-conspirators” of the 1993 World Trade Center attack that killed six people and injured over 1,000.
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