New York Democratic Party Chair Jay Jacobs said Thursday he’s not endorsing Zohran Mamdani in the New York City mayoral race.
“Mr. Mamdani and I are in agreement that America’s greatest problem is the continued growth of income disparity in our nation,” Jacobs said in a statement to The Hill. “On how to address it — we fundamentally disagree.”
Jacobs, who called the “fear mongering” surrounding Mamdani’s campaign “wrong and a gross over-reaction,” also noted his disagreement with Mamdani’s views on Israel. He also said that the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), of which Mamdani is a member, does not represent “the principles, values or policies of the Democratic Party.”
Mamdani has criticized Israel’s action throughout its war in Gaza, and told The New York Times last week that he would order the New York Police Department (NYPD) to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if the latter came to the city.
The Hill has reached out to Mamdani’s campaign for comment on Jacobs’s statement.
Jacobs’s decision not to endorse Mamdani comes after New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) backed the party’s mayoral nominee on Sunday. In a New York Times op-ed, Hochul, while noting her disagreements with Mamdani, praised the state assemblyman’s “can-do spirit” and focus making New York City more affordable.
“I didn’t leave my conversations with Mr. Mamdani aligned with him on every issue,” Hochul wrote. “But I am confident that he has the courage, urgency and optimism New York City needs to lead it through the challenges of this moment.”
Hochul’s endorsement is a contrast with the two highest-ranking Democrats in Congress, Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.). Both lawmakers have met with Mamdani since he became the Democratic nominee, but neither have endorsed him.
Mamdani won the Democratic mayoral primary in upset fashion earlier this summer, defeating a host of contenders — most notably former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. The 33-year-old has stressed cost of living concerns throughout his campaign, which he launched in October 2024.
New York state Sen. Mike Gianaris, the second-highest ranking Democrat in the New York Senate, called Jacobs’ decision not to endorse Mamdani “disgraceful” in a post on X.
“The Chair of the Democratic Party refusing to support the candidate clearly selected by the voters of the Democratic Party,” Gianaris said. “If he won’t perform that most basic responsibility of a party leader, what exactly is he doing over there?”
The latest Emerson College Polling/PIX11/The Hill survey results, released last week, found that 43 percent of respondents backed Mamdani in the mayoral election. His three opponents — Cuomo, Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa and incumbent Mayor Eric Adams — garnered support from 28, 10 and 7 percent of respondents, respectively.
The general election is set for Nov. 4.
