House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries finally endorsed Zohran Mamdani for mayor of New York City on Friday.
The Brooklyn native extended his endorsement less than two weeks before Election Day. Early voting in the Big Apple begins Saturday.
“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.
New York Times in the statement. “In that spirit, I support him and the entire citywide Democratic slate in the general election.”
The support of a national Democratic leader is valuable, but it may have come too late to make a real difference. Jeffries, one of the country's most prominent black politicians, made the decision only after months of mounting pressure. And even hours before announcing his public support, Jeffries seemed unsure whether he would ultimately support the Democratic Socialist Party, which he has criticized for years.
Echoing Mamdani's availability message on CNBC on Friday, Jefferies backed away from the much-anticipated endorsement.
“That’s what he stands for, so you support Mamdani?”
pressed host Joe Kernen.
“No, that’s not it, that’s not what I’m saying, that’s not what I’m saying,” Jeffries said.
After a tight Democratic primary (and stunning upset victory) this summer, Mamdani gained popularity in the city. The Ugandan-born New Yorker is leading the mayoral race by double digits with 46 percent support after Mayor Eric Adams announced his resignation, according to
Quinnipiac poll published earlier this month.
Jeffries' announcement is potentially the latest major endorsement for Mamdani's campaign, which has received endorsements from Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul.
The 33-year-old has also drawn the attention and ire of the White House. Donald Trump spent months
openly intimidates Mamdani, accusing a local lawmaker of being in the country “illegally” while promising to arrest Mamdani if the mayoral challenger succeeds in challenging ICE.
The President also made direct threats to New Yorkers, saying he would use executive power to
strangle funding from the country's richest metropolis if he does not reject Mamdani's proposal on election day next month.
This story has been updated.
