Democrats have struggled to find a coherent message after their resounding loss in the November elections that saw President Donald Trump return to the White House and his Republicans win control of both chambers of Congress. A Reuters/Ipsos poll earlier this month showed that a majority of American Democrats believed their party needs new leadership and to be more focused on economic issues.
No Democratic Support for Zohran Mamdani?
Earlier on Sunday, Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who represents part of the city, told ABC’s “This Week” that he wasn’t ready to endorse Mamdani yet, saying that he needed to hear more about Mamdani’s vision. Other prominent New York Democrats, including New York Governor Kathy Hochul and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, have also thus far declined to endorse Mamdani.
Mamdani voiced no concern that Jeffries and other Democrats have not yet endorsed his candidacy. “I think that people are catching up to this election,” he said. “What we’re showing is that by putting working people first, by returning to the roots of the Democratic Party, we actually have a path out of this moment where we’re facing authoritarianism in Washington, D.C.”
Incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, elected as a Democrat, is running as an independent in November’s election after Trump’s Justice Department dropped corruption charges against him, fueling accusations of a quid pro quo that he has denied. The Republican nominee is Curtis Sliwa, the founder of the Guardian Angels, and lawyer Jim Walden is also running as an independent. Cuomo has not yet decided whether to remain in the race as an independent.Zohran Mamdani’s Anti-Israel StanceMamdani’s criticism of Israel’s war in Gaza has set him apart from many mainstream Democrats and prompted allegations of antisemitism, which he has fiercely denied. Earlier this month, during an appearance on the political podcast The Bulwark, Mamdani declined to condemn the pro-Palestinian phrase “globalize the intifada,” which some Jews view as antisemitic and a call to violence.
Jeffries told ABC that Mamdani needed to “clarify his position” on the phrase to reassure Jewish New Yorkers. Pressed again on Sunday, Mamdani said it was “not language that I use” but again did not condemn it. He said he did not want to determine for others what words are permissible or impermissible, arguing that Trump has done that by targeting pro-Palestinian activists for their speech.
“We have to root out that bigotry, and ultimately we do that through the actions,” he said.
Donald Trump vs Zohran Mamdani
US President Donald Trump, himself a native New Yorker, told Fox News Channel’s “Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo” that if Mamdani wins the mayoral race, “he’d better do the right thing” or Trump would withhold federal funds from the city. “He’s a communist. I think it’s very bad for New York,” Trump said.
Asked about Trump’s claim that he is a communist, Mamdani told NBC it was not true and accused the president of attempting to distract from the fact that “I’m fighting for the very working people that he ran a campaign to empower that he has since then betrayed.”
FAQs
Q1. Who is New York Mayoral candidate from Democrats?
A1. New York City mayoral candidate from Democratic Party is Zohran Mamdani.
Q2. Who is Republican Mayoral candidate in New York?
A2. Republican nominee is Curtis Sliwa, the founder of the Guardian Angels, and lawyer Jim Walden is also running as an independent.
