New York — House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries on Friday endorsed Zahran Mamdani for mayor of New York City, saying he respects the will of primary voters and young people who were inspired by the state Democratic socialist lawmaker’s decision. nomination.
Jeffries, who represents Brooklyn, has refused for months to formally throw his support behind Mamdani, who… It turned New York’s political establishment upside down When he inflicted a stunning defeat on former New York Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo in the June primary.
Cuomo is still running in the general election in November, but as an independent. Republican Curtis Sliwa is also on the ballot, as is Mayor Eric Adams, although the embattled Democrat dropped out of the race last month. He has endorsed Cuomo.
While acknowledging that he has “areas of principled disagreement” with his party’s mayoral candidate, Jeffries said Democrats have a “clear commitment to confronting” Republican extremism, which he described in a statement as a “national nightmare.”
“Donald Trump should be given no space to go after the people of New York City,” Jeffries said, adding that the communities he represents in Brooklyn are “being devastated by this extreme version of the Republican Party.”
The tactical decision made by Jefferies to support Mamdani is to show support for a unified Democratic ticket. However, it is also expected to draw criticism from the Republican Party. Republicans have repeatedly highlighted Mamdani’s past, more controversial comments and positions, calling him dangerous, a communist and an extremist. Anti-SemiticAnd trying to link him to other Democratic officials.
President Donald Trump Mamdani was described as a communist.
Jeffries credited Mamdani with focusing on the “affordability crisis” in his campaign and expressing a commitment to serving all New Yorkers, including the Jewish community that has faced a rise in anti-Semitic incidents.
Last month, Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul Mamdani supportedSaying the two disagreed on some issues but agreed on the importance of addressing the affordability crisis in the city and across the state. At the time, this was one of Mamdani’s most important endorsements in his bid for mayor.