Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) endorsed socialist candidate Zohran Mamdani for the New York City mayoral race on Thursday, just days ahead of the start of early voting.
“Assembly member Mamdani has shown a genuine ability to unite working-class New Yorkers, making him the strongest contender,” Ocasio-Cortez stated in her endorsement. This announcement came during an interview with the New York Times. She emphasized the need for realism in the final moments of the race.
This endorsement likely bolsters support for Mamdani as the leading progressive alternative to former New York governor Andrew Cuomo (D).
Cuomo is attempting a comeback after stepping down in 2021 amid allegations of sexual harassment. The race also reflects a broader struggle within the Democratic Party following Trump’s election, with Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) advocating for a more populist approach.
Ocasio-Cortez’s support comes less than 12 hours after Mamdani had a difficult, often confused discussion with Cuomo and seven other candidates, with Mamdani yet to establish a clear front-runner position.
Despite maintaining a solid lead for months, Cuomo has now become the candidate to beat. However, Mamdani, endorsed by the progressive national assembly aligned with American democratic socialists, has climbed to second place in recent weeks.
Recent polling from Emerson College Polling/PIX11/The Hill indicated that Cuomo led the first round of the primary with 35%, while Mamdani trailed closely with 23%.
In light of this rising momentum, Cuomo directed much of his critique toward progressive policies during a debate on Wednesday night.
Key voters will head to polls on June 24th, and whoever wins the Democratic primary is poised to become the favorite to lead the city.
New York City uses a ranked-choice voting system. This allows voters to rank up to five candidates in order of preference. Votes for eliminated candidates will then transfer to remaining ones based on voters’ next choices.
