Hakeem Jeffries meets with Zohran Mamdani, but no endorsement yet for NYC mayor

Yahoo

21-07-2025

NEW YORK − Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee for New York City mayor, is still working to get endorsements from his party's leaders weeks after he upended Big Apple politics.
On July 18, the 33-year-old state assemblyman and democratic socialist met with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a Brooklyn Democrat, Mamdani's campaign announced. They spoke for an hour in East New York, in Jeffries' congressional district.
Both gave lukewarm nods about the meeting as Jeffries, the top House Democrat, has yet to endorse a candidate for mayor following Mamdani's upset victory in the June Democratic primary. Staffers described their conversation as 'candid' and 'constructive,' focused on addressing affordability in the notoriously expensive city, which was Mamdani's central pitch to voters.
'Their hour-long conversation was candid and constructive, focused on the cost of living crisis facing New Yorkers and the importance of Democrats taking back the House in 2026,' Jeffrey Lerner, a spokesperson for Mamdani's campaign, said in a statement. 'As a next step, both agreed to reconvene soon with additional members of the New York City delegation, along with key community leaders.'
Mamdani's upset in the June 24 primary against former Gov. Andrew Cuomo sent shockwaves among New York's Democratic establishment. Like Jeffries, Gov. Kathy Hochul and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who is from Brooklyn, haven't endorsed Mamdani.
'Leader Jeffries and Assemblyman Mamdani discussed a variety of other important issues, including public safety, rising antisemitism, gentrification and the importance of taking back the House in 2026,' Justin Chermol, a spokesperson for Jeffries, said in a statement.
Mamdani's July 18 meeting with Jeffries — at an undisclosed office space — came two days after Mamdani went to Washington, D.C. In the capital, Mamdani was joined by fellow democratic socialists Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Bernie Sanders, who are both icons of the Democrats' left wing and endorsed Mamdani in the primary.
Looking toward the November general election, Cuomo has opted to run as an independent, jockeying for a centrist lane against embattled Mayor Eric Adams, as they try to defeat Mamdani. All will face the Republican nominee for mayor, Curtis Sliwa, who has vowed not to drop out.
Eduardo Cuevas is based in New York City. Reach him by email at [e-mail] or on Signal at emcuevas.01.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NYC mayor: Jeffries meets with Mamdani, but no endorsement yet
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