Rep. Hakeem Jeffries Thursday praised NYC Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani for sticking with NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch and urged he’ll make a long-awaited endorsement by Saturday.
Requested about his oft-repeated vow to take sides within the contentious race earlier than early voting begins this weekend, Jeffries mentioned he’s sticking to that timetable.
“I look forward to saying much more about the mayor’s race as I promised in advance of that moment,” Jeffries mentioned in an interview on CNN.
“I’m prepared to weigh in ahead of early voting and early voting starts on Saturday,” he added with a smile in a sit down with Bloomberg TV.
Jeffries, who represents a central Brooklyn district, referred to Mamdani as “our Democratic nominee” and has lauded him for specializing in the signature problem of affordability within the race towards Republican Curtis Sliwa and ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who’s operating as an unbiased.
Zohran Mamdani is pictured at a press convention Friday, Oct. 10, 2025 in Manhattan, New York, New York. (Barry Williams / New York Every day Information)
Jeffries additionally praised Mamdani for agreeing to retain Tisch if he’s elected, calling the police commissioner a “highly respected” chief of the NYPD.
The Democratic Home Minority Chief has declined to endorse Mamdani for months for the reason that youthful Queens assemblyman trounced Cuomo within the June Democratic main.
Jeffries has met at the least twice with Mamdani, together with one sit down that included different Black elected officers and religion leaders.
Mamdani has solid a wholesome polling lead over Cuomo with Sliwa trailing. Mayor Adams endorsed Cuomo Thursday, a number of weeks after he pulled the plug on his personal sputtering reelection marketing campaign, nevertheless it’s unclear if Adams’ nod will transfer the political needle.
Sen. Chuck Schumer, who lives a few miles away from Jeffries in Brooklyn, has additionally stalled on making any endorsement within the mayoral race.
