Jeffries Weighs in on Mamdani’s Candidacy
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries isn’t convinced that socialist mayoral hopeful Zoran Mamdani represents the future of the Democratic Party, though he presented a rather mixed rationale for his stance.
“No, we believe that the future of the Democratic Party will be shaped more by the House Democratic Caucus and our members in Congress who are making a real difference out there,” Jeffries, a Democrat from New York, stated during an appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
While he had been hesitant to back Mamdani in the New York mayoral race since June, Jeffries finally endorsed him late last month.
The Brooklyn Democratic Party praised Mamdani for his “relentless focus on addressing the affordability crisis,” but also mentioned that there would be points of agreement and disagreement with him.
Other significant figures in the party, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and former President Barack Obama, have also held off on endorsing Mamdani, although Obama reportedly commended him during a recent phone call.
Several New York Democrats, such as Tom Suozzi, Dan Goldman, and Laura Gillen, have yet to formally endorse Mamdani either.
Governor Kathy Hochul has voiced support for Mamdani but is cautious about fully backing him as she approaches her re-election bid in 2026.
The Republican Party has begun using Mamdani’s candidacy to associate Democrats with far-left policies.
Jeffries, however, minimized concerns that Mamdani’s potential win could be a substantial risk for the party.
“No, the real issue that will affect either party’s chances in 2026 is the Republican failure to deliver on their promises and making everyday Americans’ lives harder,” he remarked.
Mamdani is currently leading in the run-up to Tuesday’s election, with a significant 14.5 percentage point advantage in recent polling.
As a self-identified democratic socialist, he hasn’t held back from criticizing Jeffries in the past.
Additionally, Jeffries distanced himself from responsibility for the ongoing government shutdown, highlighting that Democrats blocked a Republican-backed spending bill aimed at reopening the government.
“We want to make life better for Americans. We want the government to reopen and to create a bipartisan spending deal that truly benefits ordinary people,” he argued.
Democrats are pushing Republicans to extend Obamacare subsidies that are set to expire at the end of the year and to roll back certain Medicaid reforms in order to reopen the government.
When asked if the Democrats were intentionally driving towards a government shutdown to leverage concessions from the Republicans, Jeffries dismissed the notion.
“No, what we’re really doing is asking Republicans to come to the table and work towards a bipartisan solution that genuinely improves Americans’ lives,” he concluded.
