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House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., acknowledged on Sunday that he has not yet endorsed Zohran Mamdani for mayor of New York City, and faced questioning as to why he has yet to back the progressive candidate in his home city.
Jeffries made his remarks to Jonathan Karl on ABC’s “This Week,” adding that he did speak with Mamdani on Wednesday to congratulate him on the campaign “that clearly was relentlessly focused on the high cost of living in New York City and the economy.”
When asked what is holding him back from endorsing the mayoral candidate, the House minority leader said he and Mamdani “don’t really know each other well.”
“Our districts don’t overlap. I have never had a substantive conversation with him,” noting that it is “the next step in terms of this process.”
MAMDANI’S PRIMARY WIN EXPOSES DEMOCRAT DIVIDE AS TOP LEADERS WITHHOLD ENDORSEMENTS
Zohran Mamdani rolls up his sleeves during a campaign event in New York, on Monday, June 23, 2025. (Adam Gray/Bloomberg)
Jeffries did say that the two of them have agreed to sit down soon “in central Brooklyn.”
MAMDANI’S POLITICAL EARTHQUAKE ROCKS DEMOCRATS, DIVIDING PARTY ON PATH FORWARD
Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries speak at a press conference at the U.S. Capitol on June 11, 2025. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Zohran Mamdani attends an event at the National Action Network House of Justice in Harlem, Manhattan, on June 28, 2025. (Kyle Mazza/Anadolu)
Mamdani has faced controversy over a number of his statements and positions. The democratic socilalist’s website includes a housing policy document that states that if he were elected, his administration would “shift the tax burden from overtaxed homeowners in the outer boroughs to more expensive homes in richer and Whiter neighborhoods.”
He has also faced scrutiny for anti-Israel positions, such as support for the “Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions” movement targeting the Jewish state. He has also stated that, if elected mayor, he would have Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrested if he visits the city.
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Despite this, Mamdani came out on top in last week’s Democratic mayoral primary, defeating rivals such as former Gov. Andrew Cuomo. In the general election, he is slated to face Republican Curtis Sliwa and incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, who is running as an Independent.
