Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) on Wednesday congratulated Zohran Mamdani on his apparent upset victory in New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary — but stopped short of endorsing their party’s likely nominee.
“I have known Zohran Mamdani since we worked together to provide debt relief for thousands of beleaguered taxi drivers & fought to stop a fracked gas plant in Astoria. He ran an impressive campaign that connected with New Yorkers about affordability, fairness, & opportunity,” Schumer said in a post on X, adding that he spoke with Mamdani on Wednesday morning and that he looks forward to “getting together soon.”
Jeffries also said that he spoke with Mamdani Wednesday morning and that they plan to meet in Central Brooklyn “shortly.”
“Congratulations to Zohran Mamdani on a decisive primary victory,” Jeffries wrote in a post on X. “Assemblyman Mamdani ran a strong campaign that relentlessly focused on the economy and bringing down the high cost of living in New York City.”
Neither Schumer nor Jeffries endorsed in the race.
Mamdani declared victory early Wednesday morning after coming out of primary night with a commanding lead over former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D), who conceded late on Tuesday. Mamdani, who is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, was seen as the progressive, outsider in the race. Cuomo was considered the establishment candidate.
The House and Senate Republican campaign arms were quick to tie Jeffries and Schumer to Mamdani on Wednesday.
“Every single Democrat now owns Mamdani’s radical socialist agenda to defund police, abolish prisons & stop ICE from deporting criminals,” the National Republican Congressional Committee said in a post on X.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) accused Schumer, who is Jewish, of supporting “a socialist who doesn’t believe Israel should exist as a Jewish state and wants to ‘globalize the intifada’” in their own post on the platform.