House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries (N.Y.) on Friday endorsed Democratic New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, a socialist, following months of pressure from the party’s progressive members.
Jeffries in a Friday statement to the New York Times acknowledged that he had “areas of principled disagreement” with Mamdani but said Democrats need to unify.
“In that spirit, I support him and the entire citywide Democratic ticket in the general election,” Jeffries wrote.
Before Friday, Jeffries repeatedly declined to endorse Mamdani, who has long faced scrutiny over his anti-Semitic rhetoric and far-left agenda, which includes government-run grocery stores, rent freezes, and a $30 minimum wage. The House minority leader has particularly questioned Mamdani’s record on anti-Semitism, criticizing the socialist candidate in July for defending the anti-Semitic slogan “globalize the intifada.”
The minority leader released his endorsement one day before early voting begins in the mayoral race, the Times noted.
Jeffries’s change of heart comes after months of pressure from his party’s progressive wing, with Mamdani’s allies plotting primary challenges against Jeffries and other powerful New York Democrats. Some Democrats were reportedly left in “absolute panic and fear” following Mamdani’s surprise primary victory in June, torn between endorsing a candidate whom many of them privately called “toxic” and risking challenges if they stay silent.
Mamdani’s rise has rattled the party establishment. Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) has yet to endorse Mamdani, while New York Democratic Party chairman Jay Jacobs has said he will not endorse the socialist candidate. Democratic New York governor Kathy Hochul, who withheld her endorsement of Mamdani until last month, faces low poll numbers, with potential Republican challenger Elise Stefanik taking an edge after voters find out about Hochul’s endorsement, pollster GrayHouse reported.
For months, Democrats have faced dismal approval ratings and struggled to rally behind a national leader. “The long-awaited nod from Jeffries is certain to prove divisive in the fractured party as it seeks a path out of the political wilderness ahead of next year’s midterms,” Politico reported Friday before Jeffries announced his endorsement.
Read the full article here
