Months after the primaries, Jeffries supports Mamdani for mayor of New York City.

On Friday, October 24, 2025, day 24 of the government shutdown, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., talks with reporters outside the closed House chamber at the Capitol in Washington.

New York — Zohran Mamdani's bid for mayor of New York City was sponsored by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries on Friday. Jeffries stated that he respected the will of the primary voters and young people who were motivated by the Democratic socialist state lawmaker.

For months, Brooklyn representative Jeffries has refused to formally endorse Mamdani, who shocked the New York political elite by defeating former Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo in the June primary.

Cuomo continues to run as an independent in the general election scheduled for November. Both Mayor Eric Adams and Republican Curtis Sliwa are on the ballot; however, the troubled Democrat withdrew from the contest last month and has endorsed Cuomo.

Jeffries said in a statement that Democrats have a "clear obligation to push back against" Republican radicalism, calling it a "national nightmare," even if he acknowledged that he has "areas of principled disagreement" with his party's mayoral choice.

Jeffries remarked that the areas he represents in Brooklyn "are being devastated by this extreme version of the Republican Party" and that "Donald Trump must be given no space to haunt the people of New York City."

Jeffries' strategic choice to support Mamdani demonstrates his support for a unified Democratic ticket. But the GOP is also anticipated to criticize it. Republicans have frequently emphasized Mamdani's most contentious prior remarks and stances, portraying him as dangerous, antisemitic, and a communist while attempting to link him to other Democratic figures.

Mamdani has been referred to as a communist by President Donald Trump.

Jeffries praised Mamdani for emphasizing the "affordability crisis" during his campaign and pledging to support all New Yorkers, particularly the Jewish community, which has seen an increase in antisemitic crimes.

Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul supported Mamdani last month, stating that while they disagreed on some points, they agreed that it was critical to solve the affordability crisis in the city and throughout the state. It was one of Mamdani's most important endorsements for his mayoral campaign at the time.