Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) has endorsed Zohran Mamdani for mayor of New York City after the 33-year-old state legislator stunned former Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) in the Democratic primary on Tuesday.
Nadler likened Mamdani’s victory to that of former President Obama’s in 2008, calling it a “seismic election.” The endorsement was first reported by The New York Times.
In the primary, he had endorsed Scott Stringer, a former city comptroller who is projected to finish far down in the ranked-choice contest. He praised Mamdani as someone who could help the left stand up to President Trump.
“Voters in New York City demanded change and, with Zohran’s triumph, we have a direct repudiation of Donald Trump’s politics of tax cuts and authoritarianism,” he told the Times.
The endorsement of Nadler, one of the most prominent Jewish leaders in New York City, comes after Mamdani faced repeated questions during the primary about his forceful criticisms of Israel and its war in Gaza. Some have accused him of antisemitism, a statement that Mamdani has emphatically rejected.
“I’ve spoken to him today about his commitment to fighting antisemitism, and we’ll work with all New Yorkers to fight against all bigotry and hate,” Nadler said, according to the Times.
Other members of New York’s Democratic delegation, however, have been slower to back Mamdani, who surged from a distant underdog in the polls to the presumptive Democratic nominee for mayor (the final ranked choice vote will be tallied July 1).
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), who did not endorse during the primary, both congratulated Mamdani on Wednesday but stopped short of endorsing him.
“He ran an impressive campaign that connected with New Yorkers about affordability, fairness, & opportunity,” Schumer tweeted.
Other New York congressional Democrats, including Reps. Tom Suozzi, Adriano Espaillat, Gregory Meeks and Ritchie Torres, chose to back Cuomo instead.
“I had serious concerns about Assemblyman Mamdani before yesterday, and that is one of the reasons I endorsed his opponent. Those concerns remain,” Suozzi tweeted Wednesday.
