The right endorsement can add credibility to a campaign, particularly if the endorser has sway in an ethnic or geographic community. A high-profile endorsement can help to mobilize supporters and prompt people to volunteer.  When announced at a critical juncture, an endorsement can boost fundraising efforts. A celebrity endorsement can turn a local politician into a national figure. 

In a highly polarized race, though, endorsements may have limited impacts. They didn’t do much good for then-front-runner Andrew Cuomo in the New York City Democratic mayoral primary. He got early support from most of the city’s major powerbrokers and proceeded to lose handily to Zohran Mamdani. Chastened, many people and groups that endorsed him adopted a wait-and-see approach before throwing their support behind a different candidate in the general election. The endorsements listed here were confirmed by City & State with the individuals or groups directly, through news reports or on the endorsers’ social media accounts. This post was last updated on Oct. 3.

This list has been updated to remove endorsements of Mayor Eric Adams and Jim Walden, who have both ended their campaigns.

ZOHRAN MAMDANI (Democrat)

Elected officials: Gov. Kathy Hochul, Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado, state Attorney General Letitia James, Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Jerrold Nadler, Nydia Velázquez, Adriano Espaillat, Pat Ryan and Yvette Clarke, state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams,, state Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, state Sens. Brad Hoylman-Sigal, John Liu, Julia Salazar, Jabari Brisport, Kristen Gonzalez, Gustavo Rivera, Michael Gianaris, Zellnor Myrie, Luis Sepúlveda, José Serrano, Nathalia Fernandez, Liz Krueger, Bronx Democratic Party Chair and state Sen. Jamaal Bailey, Brooklyn Democratic Party Chair and Assembly Member Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, Assembly Members Micah Lasher, Emily Gallagher, Phara Souffrant Forest, Marcela Mitaynes, Karines Reyes, Claire Valdez, Sarahana Shrestha, Khaleel Anderson, Robert Carroll, Jessica González-Rojas, Brian Cunningham, Steven Raga, Manny De Los Santos, Khaleel Anderson, Bobby Carroll, George Alvarez, Jordan Wright, Harvey Epstein, Al Taylor, Tony Simone, Emerita Torres, Landon Dais and Alex Bores, Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson, City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, City Council Members Chi Ossé, Justin Brannan, Shaun Abreu, Carmen De La Rosa, Pierina Sanchez, Jennifer Gutiérrez, Sandy Nurse, Lincoln Restler, Alexa Avilés, Tiffany Cabán, Shahana Hanif, Erik Bottcher, Crystal Hudson, Rita Joseph, Julie Won, Oswald Feliz, Diana Ayala, Kevin Riley and Chris Marte

Labor: District Council 37, United Federation of Teachers, 32BJ SEIU, NYC Central Labor Council AFL-CIO, Hotel and Gaming Trades Council, New York State Nurses Association, United Auto Workers Region 9A, American Federation of Musicians Local 802, 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, Actors’ Equity Association, Communications Workers of America, Professional Staff Congress-CUNY

Organizations: New York Working Families Party, New York City Democratic Socialists of America, Manhattan Democratic Party, Staten Island Democratic Party, Bronx Democratic Party, New York Immigration Coalition Action, New York Communities for Change, CAAAV (formerly the Committee Against Anti-Asian Violence) Voice, DRUM (Desis Rising Up & Moving) Beats, VOCAL Action Fund, Citizen Action of New York, New York State Tenant Bloc, Jews for Racial and Economic Justice’s political arm The Jewish Vote, Riders Alliance

Others: U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders and Chris Van Hollen, Reps. Pramila Jayapal, Ro Khanna and Jamie Raskin, former Rep. Jamaal Bowman, former Mayor Bill de Blasio, former U.S. Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris

ANDREW CUOMO (Democrat running as an independent candidate)

Elected officials: State Sen. Sam Sutton

Labor: IBEW Local 3, Teamsters Local 237, Teamsters Joint Council 16, Amalgamated Transit Union Local 726 and ATU NY State Legislative Conference Board, New York City Deputy Sheriffs’ Benevolent Association

Organizations: Crown Heights United PAC, Asian Wave Alliance

Other: Jim Walden

CURTIS SLIWA (Republican)

Elected Officials: Reps. Elise Stefanik and Mike Lawler, Democratic Assembly Member Jamie Williams, City Council Members Joann Ariola, Vickie Paladino, Inna Vernikov, Kristy Marmorato, David Carr, Frank Morano and Bob Holden

Organizations: Queens County Republican Party, Bronx County Republican Party, Kings County Republican Party, Staten Island Republican Party, Manhattan Republican Party, Rockland County Republican and Conservative Parties

Others: Former Gov. George Pataki