![\"House](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/2025-03-14T192132Z_352816727_RC25DDA06W2C_RTRMADP_3_USA-CONGRESS-SHUTDOWN.jpg\" "\\"NYC")
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House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. <\/p>\n
REUTERS\/Annabelle Gordon<\/p>\n
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries<\/a> threw his support on Friday to Zohran Mamdani in the ongoing mayoral election<\/a>, months after the Democratic socialist won the party\u2019s nomination.<\/p>\n The Brooklyn Democrat, who has frequently criticized the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), of which Mamdani is a member, issued a statement Friday afternoon announcing his support of the Mamdani campaign, stating that he \u201cdeeply respects\u201d the will of the primary voters. He cited Mamdani\u2019s commitment to addressing the city\u2019s affordability crisis as his primary reason for supporting the nominee.\u00a0<\/p>\n Jeffries had faced pressure to endorse Mamdani after the Queens Assembly convincingly defeated former Gov. Andrew Cuomo by almost 13 percentage points in the June primary, but had frequently declined to endorse a candidate ahead of Friday\u2019s announcement.\u00a0<\/p>\n The House Minority Leader acknowledged<\/a> that he had areas of \u201cprincipled disagreement\u201d with Mamdani but emphasized the Democratic nominee\u2019s commitment to serving as a mayor for all New Yorkers.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cZohran Mamdani has relentlessly focused on addressing the affordability crisis and explicitly committed to being a mayor for all New Yorkers, including those who do not support his candidacy,\u201d Jeffries wrote in a statement issued on Oct. 24.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Jeffries said working-class neighborhoods of color had been hurt by gentrification for decades, and said Mamdani has committed to building a city where all residents can afford to live.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n He also pointed to Mamdani\u2019s willingness to retain the current police commissioner, Jessica Tisch, in his administration, describing that commitment as the \u201capproach that the moment requires.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cAssemblyman Mamdani has promised to focus on keeping every New Yorker safe, including the Jewish community that has confronted a startling rise in antisemitic incidents as well as Black and Latino neighborhoods that have battled deadly gun violence for years,\u201d Jeffries added.<\/p>\n The Congress member also endorsed \u201cthe entire Democratic ticket\u201d and emphasized the need for the Democratic Party to show a united front in the face of attacks from the Trump Administration on New York City.\u00a0<\/p>\n Mamdani has welcomed the endorsement, as noted in a statement sent to amNewYork.\n<\/p>\n \u201cThis campaign has always been about bringing people together to improve the quality of life for every New Yorker,\u201d Mamdani said. \u201cI welcome Leader Jeffries\u2019 support and look forward to delivering a city government, and building a Democratic Party, relentlessly committed to our affordability agenda \u2014 and to fighting Trump\u2019s authoritarianism.\u201d<\/p>\n Jeffries was one of several high-ranking Democrats who were slow to endorse Mamdani after he convincingly won the primary in June.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has yet to endorse a candidate ahead of the Nov. 4 election. Gov. Kathy Hochul, New York\u2019s top Democrat, endorsed Mamdani in September<\/a>, describing him as a leader who is focused on making New York City more affordable.\u00a0<\/p>\n Hochul and Jeffries\u2019 endorsements are signs of a major shift within the Democratic Party, with key leaders within the party crediting the 34-year-old for running a campaign focused on affordability.\u00a0<\/p>\n Jeffries\u2019 endorsement comes just one day before the beginning of early voting in the election and hands yet another boost to the Mamdani campaign, which is ahead by double-digit margins according to most election polls.\u00a0<\/p>\n \t