New York’s prime Democrats are transferring cautiously in terms of newly minted mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani, slow-walking their interactions with the youthful progressive candidate and to date holding off on endorsing him.
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, Sen. Chuck Schumer and Gov. Hochul, the celebration’s three strongest leaders within the state, look like following a shared playbook concerning Mamdani within the month since he trounced ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo within the Democratic major to turn into the celebration’s standard-bearer within the November normal election.
At a time within the marketing campaign cycle when usually they might have already endorsed the winner of the Democratic major, the trio is as a substitute specializing in constructing their relationships with Mamdani and laying the muse to doubtlessly again him sooner or later.
Not one of the energy threesome has stated if or when they could formally declare their backing for the charismatic Queens assemblyman, who this week is on a household journey to Uganda, the nation of his beginning.
Mamdani is the favourite within the November mayoral election, wherein he’ll run on the Democratic and Working Households Celebration traces. He’ll face Republican Curtis Sliwa together with incumbent Eric Adams and Cuomo, each of whom are working as independents.
“At the meeting on Friday, we agreed to reconvene with other members of the delegation and high-level members of the community upon [Mamdani’s] return to the country,” Jeffries advised reporters.
Schumer, the Senate minority chief, praised Mamdani in a submit on X after his major victory, calling his marketing campaign a wholesome jolt of vitality to Democrats with its laser give attention to affordability.
He has spoken with Mamdani briefly by telephone in what aides known as an effort to put the groundwork for a future face-to-face assembly within the metropolis.
A spokesman for Schumer stated the senator and Mamdani had been concentrating on August for a gathering when the Senate is in recess and Mamdani will probably be again from Africa, and earlier than Labor Day, which marks the beginning of the marketing campaign’s homestretch.
The senior Democrat hasn’t given any indication when he would possibly make an endorsement resolution.
Each Schumer and Jeffries are sturdy supporters of Israel and have up to now denounced progressive critics of the Jewish state like Mamdani.
They’ve each objected to the controversial phrase “globalize the intifada,” which Mamdani has refused to denounce however has stated he would encourage supporters to keep away from. It’s unclear how a lot Israel-Palestine politics might affect the heavyweights’ endorsement calculus, if in any respect.
As for Hochul, the pair have extra of a historical past as a result of Mamdani has typically criticized the average governor throughout his three phrases in Albany.
However each camps have mentioned burying the hatchet because the major and burdened their shared dedication to reducing prices for on a regular basis New Yorkers.
Hochul and Mamdani have spoken a number of occasions because the major and met as soon as on the sidelines of town’s Satisfaction march on June 29.
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand was pressured to apologize to Mamdani after she appeared to agree with a caller on a radio present who accused him of being antisemitic.
Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) advised Mamdani she was sorry for mischaracterizing his report and for her “tone.” Like Schumer, she additionally fired again at congressional Republicans who vilified Mamdani as a terrorist or supporter of Hamas.
Like different leaders, she stated they plan to fulfill in New York quickly, however gave no particulars on an endorsement resolution.
Initially Revealed: July 23, 2025 at 12:53 PM EDT
