House Democratic Leader and New York Congressman Hakeem Jeffries on Friday officially endorsed Zohran Mamdani for mayor of New York City.
"I deeply respect the will of the primary voters and the young people who have been inspired to participate in the electoral process," Jeffries said in a statement. "Zohran Mamdani has relentlessly focused on addressing the affordability crisis and explicitly committed to being a mayor for all New Yorkers, including those who do not support his candidacy."
The Brooklyn Congressman said he liked Mamdani's promise on keeping New Yorkers safe, including the Jewish community that has confronted a startling rise in antisemitic incidents as well as Black and Latino neighborhoods that have battled deadly gun violence for years. Jefries said the assemblyman has made clear that public safety for these communities will be a top priority, a promise strongly reaffirmed by his commitment to retaining current Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch.
"That is the approach that this moment requires," said Jeffries, who also endorsed Jumaane Williams for Public Advocate and Mark Levine for city Comptroller.
Although he has "principled disagreements" with Mamdani or any mayor, Jeffries also said the Democratic Party's fight against President Donald Trump are "existential."
"The communities I represent in Brooklyn are being devastated by this extreme version of the Republican Party," Jeffries said. "In this environment, we have a clear obligation to push back against the national nightmare being visited on the American people by Republican extremism."
Mamdan said he welcomed the support and looks forward to building a Democratic Party that is committed to affordability and will continue to fight Trump’s authoritarian policies.
“This campaign has always been about bringing people together to improve the quality of life for every New Yorker," Mamdani said in a statement. "Our movement to turn the page on the politics of big money and small ideas grows stronger by the day.”
Jeffries' endorsement came a day after New York City Mayor Eric Adams endorsed his one-time-rival Andrew Cuomo for mayor.
Early voting starts on Saturday ahead of the Nov. 4 general election.
