Democratic candidate for New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani reacted to U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries’ endorsement of him on Friday, saying that he welcomes the support.
Why It Matters
The 2025 New York City mayoral race is commanding national attention, with major policy, demographic and ideological shifts at stake for America’s most populous city.
Democratic Socialist and New York Assemblymember Mamdani’s campaign, if successful in a couple of weeks, would make him New York City’s first Muslim mayor—a historic milestone discussed in the context of broader debates over policing, affordability and responses to President Donald Trump’s policies.
Mamdani is running against independent candidate and former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa.
What To Know
Jeffries, a New York Democrat, announced his decision after fielding relentless questions by the media and lawmakers on his thoughts about the race.
In a statement to The New York Times, Jeffries acknowledged that he and Mamdani had “areas of principled disagreement,” but that “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. In that spirit, I support him and the entire citywide Democratic ticket in the general election.”
Taking to X Friday evening, Mamdani reacted, saying, “This campaign has always been about bringing people together to improve the quality of life for every New Yorker. I welcome Leader Jeffries’ support and look forward to delivering a city government and building a Democratic Party relentlessly committed to an affordability agenda — and to fighting Trump’s authoritarianism.”
Jeffries now joins fellow Democrats, Governor Kathy Hochul and U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, in endorsing Mamdani. Jeffries’ backing of the Democrat also sparked fierce backlash from New York Republican U.S. Congressman Mike Lawler.
What People Are Saying
Lawler, on X Friday: “Hakeem Jeffries just endorsed Zohran Mamdani — a self-described socialist who’s spent his career attacking the NYPD, defending criminals, and demonizing Israel. Every single Democrat running for Congress in New York needs to be put on the record: do you stand with Jeffries, Hochul, and Mamdani, or with the hardworking New Yorkers who want safe streets, affordable communities, and sanity back in government? There’s no hiding on this one.”
Stephen Miller, White House deputy chief of staff for policy and Homeland Security adviser, on X Friday: “Understand what the Democrat Party has become.”
Independent Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, on X this week: “@ZohranKMamdani will not run a top-down, billionaire-funded mayoral administration. He will be a champion for the working people of NY. Zohran, @AOC and I will be holding a rally in Queens next weekend to say clearly: NEW YORK IS NOT FOR SALE. I hope to see you there.”
Robert Y. Shapiro, political science professor at Columbia University, to Newsweek via email on Friday: “There is an old expression in (Chicago) politics, ‘don’t make no waves, don’t back no losers.’ Mamdani is ahead and it looks like the only way for him to lose would be for Sliwa to drop out and endorse Cuomo.
“It does not look like that will happen. Hochul did not want to back a loser, and with Mamdani winning, the Democrats locally and nationally need to show party unity, and that should have also figured into Jeffries’s decision. Jeffries also has reason to be concerned about being ‘primaried’ from the left in his 2026 reelection campaign. With the vote split among the three candidates, any shift among undecideds may make the election closer, but Cuomo will find it hard to make up for the anti-Mamdani vote that Sliwa has.”
What Happens Next
The election for New York City mayor is set for November 4.
