Jeffries Backs Mamdani in New York City Mayoral Contest

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On Friday, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) officially endorsed Zohran Mamdani in the race for New York City mayor. This endorsement adds significant clout to Mamdani, the Democratic nominee known for his progressive stance, which has stirred debate within the party.

Jeffries, who serves as a representative for parts of Brooklyn, had previously refrained from expressing support in the mayoral race. This race saw Mamdani achieve a surprising victory over former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary back in June.

With New York’s early voting period just about to commence, Jeffries finally broke his silence, backing Mamdani despite the candidate’s divisive reputation.

In his statement, Jeffries acknowledged the “areas of principled disagreement” he shares with Mamdani. Nonetheless, he emphasized Mamdani’s dedication to addressing New York’s high cost of living, an issue Jeffries frequently discusses. Jeffries also underscored the need for party unity in the face of opposition from former President Trump.

“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 said.

“In that spirit, I support him and the entire citywide Democratic ticket in the general election.”

Mamdani responded with a statement of his own, “welcoming” the House Democratic leader’s backing.

“This campaign has always been about bringing people together to improve the quality of life for every New Yorker,” Mamdani 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.”

Mamdani has run his campaign on a far-left agenda focused largely on affordability, and his ascension has electrified the Democrats’ liberal base. But it has also alienated more moderate members of the party who are wary that Mamdani, a self-described democratic socialist, will be a drag on the party in next year’s midterm elections.

Indeed, Republicans have seized on Mamdani’s rise in an effort to make him the new face of the Democratic Party at large, much like they’ve done previously with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y) and former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).

With the news of Jeffries’s endorsement, they wasted little time escalating that campaign, warning that Mamdani will ensure that Republicans keep control of the House in next year’s midterms.

“So-called ‘Leader’ Hakeem Jeffries has officially surrendered to Zohran Mamdani and the socialist mob now running the Democrat Party,” Mike Marinella, a spokesperson for the House Republicans’ campaign arm, said Friday in a statement. “Their far-left takeover has torched Democrats’ hopes of retaking the House and turned their agenda into pure electoral poison.”

Those dynamics have created a dilemma for Democratic leaders like Jeffries and Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), who are fighting to make gains in the midterms next year, when the party has a good chance of flipping control of the House. To be successful, their campaign will require both the energy of the liberal base and support from moderate voters in battleground districts where the fate of the chambers will be determined.

Against that backdrop, Jeffries, who is vowing that Democrats will flip control of the House, has remained on the sidelines of the mayor’s race for months after Mamdani’s primary victory.

That reticence was on display as recently as Friday morning, when Jeffries was again pressed by reporters on the topic and said he’d make an announcement before early voting begins in New York.

“Stay tuned,” he told reporters in the Capitol. “I have not refused to endorse. I have refused to articulate my position. And I will, momentarily, at some point in advance of early voting.”

Early voting in New York begins at 9 a.m. Saturday.

Updated: 3:10 p.m. ET