Former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio endorsed state Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani in the race for City Hall.
De Blasio threw his support behind the Democratic socialist from Queens in an op-ed Tuesday, along with a TV interview.
“This guy’s an old soul. I have to say that chronological age is one thing, but I truly find him to be particularly perceptive, intelligent, open,” de Blasio said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.” “Rarely have I met someone in public life who listens so well, and I think that’s crucial.”
De Blasio said Mamdani is focused on “kitchen table issues” that impact everyday New Yorkers, and said more Democrats should follow suit.
“Here is a guy, Zohran Mamdani, who talked about, relentlessly, kitchen table issues. He did not talk about ‘woke issues,’ or identity issues,” said de Blasio. “He talked about the kitchen table, and he won overwhelmingly.”
De Blasio weighs in on Mamdani’s campaign platforms
Mamdani, who pulled off a stunning Democratic primary win, is running against incumbent New York City Mayor Eric Adams, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa in the November general election.
Some political experts have compared Mamdani’s progressive policies to those of the de Blasio era. The former mayor praised Mamdani’s platforms to expand free child care, free buses and city-run grocery stores.
He also said that while they both called for raising taxes on corporations and the wealthy, Mamdani has taken a different approach with the private sector.
“Look, the bottom line is, I think Zohran Mamdani is more talented in many ways. I’ll be blunt about it. I’ve gotten to know him very well. I think he has talents I didn’t have. I think has been so smart about how he’s approached the business community,” de Blasio said, adding, “He disagrees with them on some core issues, but he has held out a hand and said, I want to work together. I want to listen to your concern.”
De Blasio also said he supports Mamdani’s public safety plan to move police away from responding to mental illness and homelessness, something he tried in his administration.
“Yes, we need police for a variety of situations, but why don’t we flood the zone with mental health workers to help get a lot of those people off the streets and create more of a sense of order?” said de Blasio. “I think what people are going to see from Zohran when he’s mayor is, actually, he will be able to do things that previous mayors didn’t to create more order in this city, because he’s got the right approach.”
Mamdani has said that de Blasio was the best mayor of his lifetime, adding Fiorello La Guardia was the best of all-time.
De Blasio served as mayor from 2014 to 2021 and later ran for the state’s newly redrawn 10th Congressional District before dropping out. In recent months, he publicly defended Adams during his federal corruption investigation, and appeared alongside the mayor to announce $167 million toward early childhood education.
Adams has been endorsed by former New York Gov. David Paterson, who previously endorsed Cuomo in the Democratic primary.
More from CBS News