House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) endorsed Zohran Mamdani for New York City mayor Friday — ending a months-long will-he-or-won’t-he wait.
The Brooklyn congressman endorsed the Democratic mayoral front-runner in a lukewarm statement to the New York Times that noted he has “areas of principled disagreement” with the socialist.
Still, Jeffries lauded Mamdani’s focus on “affordability” during the campaign and argued there was a need for the Democratic Party to unite in the face of an “existential” threat from President Trump.
“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,” the top House Democrat wrote in the statement.
“In that spirit, I support him and the entire citywide Democratic ticket in the general election.”
Jeffries fell in line with top New York Democrats such as Gov. Kathy Hochul and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie (D-Bronx) who’ve lauded Mamdani’s compelling messaging around “affordability” issues — despite the party presiding over the state’s affairs for years.
Before winning election to Congress, Jeffries served for six years in the state Assembly beginning in 2007.
Just two years ago, Mamdani, a Queens assemblyman, was railing on the chamber’s floor about how Dems like Hochul had “failed” New Yorkers by not addressing affordability.
“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,” Mamdani said in a statement Friday accepting the endorsement.
“Our movement to turn the page on the politics of big money and small ideas grows stronger by the day,” he said.
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The endorsement came with just hours to go before early voting begins Saturday ahead of the Nov. 4 election.
For months, Jeffries and other national Democratic leaders awkwardly avoided embracing Mamdani — a 34-year-old member of the Democratic Socialists of America — and his far-left agenda after his stunning primary victory in June.
But Jeffries’ reluctance appeared to thaw Thursday, when he told the Rev. Al Sharpton during an appearance on the civil rights leader’s radio show “Keepin’ It Real” that the endorsement would likely come the following day.
“I do hope to talk to the Democratic nominee either late today or tomorrow, in advance of early voting,” Jeffries said.
“I do think that his decision to announce that he would reappoint [NYPD] Commissioner Jessica Tisch is a positive step in the right direction in terms of sending the message that, while he is going to of course focus on affordability — and that is the number one concern of the people in the communities I represent.”
Jeffries similarly signaled during an interview with Bloomberg Television that Mamdani’s decision to try to retain Tisch — whose tenure atop the NYPD has been widely praised — was “a strong step toward community trust and public safety.”
“Zohran has demonstrated a real partnership with local communities and a willingness to work with all New Yorkers to make the city more affordable and inclusive,” Jeffries said.
Jeffries, known for his mainstream views and cautious approach to politics, has spent months in conversation with Mamdani about key city issues like affordability.
The Democratic leader also must grapple with Republicans tying him and his party members across the country to the socialist Mamdani ahead of next year’s midterm elections.
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“Are there any moderate Democrats left? Every elected Democrat – in New York and nationally – must answer this question: do you stand with Zohran Mamdani or do you stand with the principles upon which our republic was founded?,” New York GOP Chair Ed Cox wrote in a statement Friday.
Other GOP firebrands instantly pounced on the news.
“Another NY Democrat bends the knee to the Antisemite Communist who will destroy New York,” North Country Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), Hochul’s like foe in the 2026 governor election, posted to X.
“You can kiss any hope of a Democrat House Majority Good Bye!”
Hudson Valley Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) added: “Every single Democrat running for Congress in New York needs to be put on the record: do you stand with Jeffries, Hochul, and Mamdani, or with the hardworking New Yorkers who want safe streets, affordable communities, and sanity back in government?”
“There’s no hiding on this one,” he posted.
Hochul followed a path similar to Jeffries’ before she ultimately endorsed the assemblyman in September.
After initially withholding her endorsement following Mamdani’s upset primary victory over Cuomo, Hochul offered her public support in a New York Times op-ed.
“We’ve had our disagreements,” the governor wrote, referring to differences on issues like tax policy, but cited their shared goals of making New York more affordable and safe as motivation for closing ranks.
Hochul’s endorsement, which came after months of dialogue with Mamdani, was credited as bridging divides between the Democratic establishment and the party’s progressive wing and signaling a broadening coalition behind the upstart candidate.
Jeffries called Hochul to give her a heads up that he was endorsing Mamdani, a source familiar with the situation told The Post.
But some other Democrats, such as both US Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and US Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), still have not lined up behind the party nominee.
Nassau County battleground Rep. Laura Gillen (D-NY) encouraged Jeffries not to endorse Mamdani, a source said.
“I’ve made my position clear from the start and it has not changed: Zohran Mamdani’s policies are not the right direction for New York,” Gillen said in a statement Friday.
Sharpton himself has publicly praised Mamdani and even joined him at a campaign rally in Harlem in June, but has not endorsed the candidate yet either.
When Mamdani’s campaign rival, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, met with Sharpton in September, it was rumored the meeting was to seek an endorsement.
Cuomo snagged the endorsement of Mayor Eric Adams on Thursday.
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