The New Kings Democrats on Sunday endorsed four candidates in the New York City mayoral race: State Senator Jessica Ramos, State Senator Zellnor Myrie, State Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani and New York City Comptroller Brad Lander.
The decision marks the first time the progressive, grassroots political club has endorsed multiple candidates in a ranked-choice election, according to a press release.
NKD members voted to adopt a multi-candidate strategy after analysis from the Working Families Party indicated that a lack of coalition-building among progressive candidates contributed to Mayor Eric Adams’ narrow victory in 2021.
"Ranked choice voting is powerful because you don’t have to guess which candidate has the best chance of winning — you can rank all the candidates who have a positive vision for NYC," said Tony Melone, president of NKD. "If voters rank Lander, Mamdani, Myrie and Ramos, and don’t rank failed leaders like Eric Adams and Andrew Cuomo, then our city will finally turn the page on corruption and mismanagement. It’s our job to make sure voters know they have many great options in this election, and a coalition strategy is the best way to do that."
The endorsement follows an extensive review process that included candidate questionnaires, interviews, and a vote by NKD’s general membership. Each endorsed candidate secured support from at least two-thirds of participating members.
"We are proud to endorse these four candidates for mayor. These candidates present a compelling vision for our city with more affordable housing, good education for all, a robust and affordable public transit system, more parks and green space, and much much more,” added Paige Havener, NKD's director of political affairs. “Unlike Cuomo and Adams, our endorsed candidates are committed to transparency, accountability, and rooting out corruption in our city government."
NKD plans to mobilize its membership to support these candidates through canvassing, phone banking, and digital outreach efforts ahead of the June 24 primary election.
