Jeffries endorses Mamdani for NYC mayor just before early voting starts

Even until the final hour, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., was shying away from approving Zoran Mamdani in the race for mayor of New York.

“Early voting, as you know, starts tomorrow,” a reporter noted to Jeffries at 11:06 a.m. Friday. “Are you ready to support Mamdani?”

“Stay tuned,” Jeffries replied.

“What else do you need to hear at this moment?” – asked another scribe.

'STAY': JEFFRIES repeatedly avoids endorsing Mamdani as self-imposed deadline approaches

“Same answer,” Jeffries said. “I didn’t refuse to support. I have refused to articulate my position and will do so momentarily at some point before the early vote.”

So, early voting began on Saturday in New York. And true to his word, Jeffries articulated his position in a statement early Friday morning, throwing his political clout behind Mamdani.

“Zohran Mamdani has been tireless in his focus on solving the affordability crisis and has been vocal about being a mayor for all New Yorkers, including those who do not support his candidacy,” Jeffries said. “The communities I represent in Brooklyn are devastated by this radical version of the Republican Party. In this situation, we have a clear obligation to fight back against the national nightmare that Republican extremism has unleashed on the American people.”

Jeffries concluded his endorsement with this key phrase: “I support the Democratic ticket.”

In some ways, this was the least noteworthy line in Jeffries' statement. It would be ludicrous to think that New York's top House Democrat wouldn't support the Democratic nominee for mayor of his hometown.

It would have been a bigger story if Jeffries hadn't supported Mamdani.

We don't know exactly what Jeffries might have been thinking about for so long. But we understand the division within the Democratic Party between centrist Democrats and the far left. This is why Republicans are shouting from the Empire State Building that Mamdani is a “socialist” or even a “communist.” Republicans not-so-secretly love the fact that Mamdani is the Democratic nominee. And they accept that Mamdani has some Democrats squirming as the party tries to attract moderate voters — while also battling the candidate's left-leaning leanings.

Zogran Mamdanina received long-awaited key support in the New York mayoral election

“What we are witnessing is truly the end of the Democratic Party as we know it,” the House Speaker said. Mike JohnsonR-La. “Hakeem Jeffries finally conceded. He gave in and supported the Socialist candidacy for mayor of New York. House Democrats showed the world what they really believe. There's no more room for [centrists] and moderates in their party.”

Republicans also claim that the reason Democrats are “shutting down the government” is because Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck SchumerDN.Y., heard steps on the left and was afraid of the main obstacle. In the case of Sumer: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-CortezD.N.Y.

“They decided to save their own skin by backing the Marxist Mamdani,” Johnson suggested. “They also decided to shut down the government in an unprecedented move.”

When asked over the weekend by MSNBC why it took him so long to endorse Mamdani, Jeffries said he wasn't “someone I knew before he won the Democratic nomination.”

Jeffries added that he would like to “sit down and have a talk” with Mamdani.

But the endorsement question has been a grueling one for Jeffries since Mamdani announced his candidacy for the Democratic mayoral nomination on June 25.

On the day of Mamdani's victory in the primaries, Jeffries “congratulated Zoran Mamdani on his decisive victory in the primaries.”

But Jeffries did not support it.

Socialist Candidate MAMDANI MEETS NEW YORKERS WHO REFUSE SUPPORT

“We spoke this morning and plan to meet soon in downtown Brooklyn,” Jeffries said.

Four days later, Jeffries was asked by ABC's Jonathan Karl if he had already backed Mamdani.

The answer was no.

“He surpassed everyone in work, in communication and in organizing the opposition. And that’s why he was successful,” Jeffries said.

“So, what's stopping you from approving him right now?” – asked Karl.

“Well, we don't know each other very well. Our areas do not overlap. I never had a substantive conversation with him,” Jeffries responded.

And this continued all summer and autumn. Reporters often peppered Jeffries with questions about the potential approval or what the delay was. And Jeffries was always cautious.

In fact, resistance to approval led to rumors that Jefferies had reservations about Mamdani. That's to say nothing of the potential headaches Mamdani could create for the party in trying to attract swing voters.

EARLY VOTING TAKES PLACE IN NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY Amid HOT COMPETITION FOR MAYOR AND GOVERNOR

“What does he need to do to get your approval?” asked CNN's Dana Bash on August 24.

“(Representative) Yvette Clarke, chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, and I are scheduled to meet with him in the next few days. I look forward to that conversation,” Jeffries said.

“What do you want to hear from him? What's missing? “I mean, it's quite unusual for a high-ranking Democrat like you to refuse to support your party's candidate for mayor of New York,” Bash countered.

“I don’t think we’ve given up approval. We're having a conversation about the future of New York,” Jeffries said.

Bash wondered if Jeffries was not endorsing Mamdani because “he has not condemned the use of the term or support for the term ‘globalization of the intifada’?”

“I raised a few issues with him privately and also publicly expressed some concerns that I had,” Jeffries said.

This means that there really were “concerns”.

“What do you say to your young voters, the vibrant young voters who helped put Mamdani in the position he is in and now they are calling on you to represent their wishes and support him?” a reporter asked Jeffries at the Capitol on Oct. 6.

CLINTON CAMPAIGN SUPPORTERS CALL JEFFRIES AND SCHUMER NOT TO “take the bait” but to “GO IN” IN SUPPORT OF MAMDANI

“I think I've answered these questions many times before and I'll have a lot to say before the early vote,” Jeffries said.

On October 9, Jeffries had even more questions about Mamdani.

“We are in the middle government shutdown” Jeffries was coy when asked about possible endorsement plans. “I'd like to say more about the mayoral race ahead of early voting in New York starting later this month.”

So Jeffries has now backed Mamdani. And that should answer all the questions, right?

Doubtful.

Republicans pounced about Jeffries' decision to approve. Moderate Democrats and many pro-Israel voters groaned. Yes. Jeffries may have needed to reach a comfort level with Mamdani and clarify the issues that the minority leader had in his mind. But in the end, Jeffries may have had no choice but to support. Lack of support could lead to a split in the party. Jeffries may have had to evaluate whether it was more dangerous to not support and outrage the left, or not to support and upset those in the middle.

Everything in politics is calculation. Jeffries made his calculations—on behalf of himself, New York, and his party.

Yes, Republicans will criticize Jeffries for this decision. But they will still try to link Jeffries to Mamdani. Fair or not.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

It is doubtful that Jeffries' support will either result in Mamdani winning or losing the mayoral race.

But refusal of approval would emphasize split within the Democratic Party. And that could raise more questions than Jeffries ever had about whether he would support the proposal or not.