House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has finally endorsed Zohran Mamdani for New York City mayor.
On Friday (Oct 24), Jeffries joined President Obama and Former Vice President Kamala Harris who’ve announced their support for the democratic socialist after keeping him at arm’s length since his surprising Democratic primary victory in June.
“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, D-N.Y., said in a statement on Friday. “In that spirit, I support him and the entire citywide Democratic ticket in the general election.”
Delayed Endorsement
The nod is coming after months of pressure. Among the points of tension between the Mamdani and Jeffries camps was talk by democratic socialists of challenging Jeffries and other US House Democrats in primaries. A top Jeffries aide dismissed some of Mamdani’s allies as being for “Team Gentrification.”
Another point of contention for Jeffries was his concerns with how Mamdani is viewed by the Jewish community. He previously said Mamdani would need to show he is “prepared to aggressively address the rise in antisemitism” in New York City.
In a statement, Mamdani said he welcomed “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.”
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul endorsed the nominee last month, while Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, also from Brooklyn, has still not offered his support.
Mamdani’s campaign centers on tackling New York City’s affordability crisis, proposing a temporary rent freeze for rent-stabilized units, free city buses, and a 2 percent tax increase on the wealthiest New Yorkers.