Jeffries Endorses Mamdani Before Early Voting

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries issued a last-minute endorsement of Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani on Friday, four months after Mamdani’s primary win and less than a day before early voting began. Jeffries’ statement was muted, acknowledging “areas of principled disagreement,” while praising Mamdani’s emphasis on affordability and public safety and urging party unity. He also singled out the need to protect Jewish New Yorkers amid rising antisemitic incidents after sustained pressure from progressives and threats of primary challenges. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer withheld his endorsement, and many Democrats only coalesced around Mamdani after prolonged debate. Republicans seized on Jeffries’ delay to attack Democrats and warn of political risks for 2026, but analysts say the eleventh-hour backing is unlikely to dramatically alter a race in which polls show Mamdani leading and former governor Andrew Cuomo remains in the field as an independent.