House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) made headlines Friday with his Hakeem Jeffries endorsement of socialist New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani—a move that has already divided Democrats and alarmed moderates. Jeffries told The New York Times he had “areas of principled disagreement” with Mamdani but said Democrats must “unify.” “In that spirit, I support him and the entire citywide Democratic ticket in the general election,” Jeffries wrote.
The Hakeem Jeffries endorsement follows months of pressure from progressives who threatened to primary establishment Democrats reluctant to back Mamdani. The candidate’s far-left platform includes a $30 minimum wage, rent freezes, and government-run grocery stores. Jeffries had previously questioned Mamdani’s history of anti-Semitic rhetoric, criticizing him in July for defending the slogan “globalize the intifada.”
Mamdani’s rise has shaken New York’s Democratic establishment. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has withheld his endorsement, while state party chairman Jay Jacobs flatly refused to back Mamdani. Governor Kathy Hochul, who reluctantly endorsed him last month, has since seen her approval ratings drop—especially after polls showed Republican challenger Elise Stefanik gaining an edge.
Democrats remain deeply divided heading into next year’s midterms. As Politico noted before the announcement, “The long-awaited nod from Jeffries is certain to prove divisive in the fractured party as it seeks a path out of the political wilderness.”
