NEW YORK (WABC) — After weeks of declining to weigh in on the New York City mayor’s race, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Friday he was backing Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani.
Jeffries, who represents parts of Brooklyn, said in a statement he gave first to The New York Times that while he and Mamdani had “areas of principled disagreement,” he acknowledged the state assemblyman’s win in the June primary and called for unity.
“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 said. “Together, along with Mark Levine and Jumaane Williams, they won the nominations for Mayor, Comptroller and Public Advocate in a free and fair election. In that spirit, I support him and the entire citywide Democratic ticket in the general election.”
Jeffries said as with any mayor, there will be areas of disagreement, yet the “stakes are existential” as he used the statement to call out Donald Trump and Republicans on the economy, immigration and health care.
“In this environment, we have a clear obligation to push back against the national nightmare being visited on the American people by Republican extremism. Donald Trump must be given no space to haunt the people of New York City,” Jeffries said. “I endorse the Democratic ticket.”
During a news conference at the Capitol on Friday morning, Jeffries pointedly clarified that he has “not refused” to endorse the Democratic nominee for mayor.
“I have not refused to endorse. I refused to articulate my position, and I will momentarily, at some point in advance of early voting,” Jeffries said Friday morning.
Mamdani refused to take any questions about Jeffries during a news conference outside a Bronx mosque on Friday afternoon, but released the following statement after the endorsement:
“This campaign has always been about bringing people together to improve the quality of life for every New Yorker,” the statement said. “I welcome Leader 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. Our movement to turn the page on the politics of big money and small ideas grows stronger by the day.”
Early voting begins Saturday morning in New York.
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