House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) has kept New Yorkers and political observers guessing as to whether he will endorse Zohran Mamdani, the self-described Democratic socialist, in the New York City Mayoral race. Despite Mamdani’s victory in securing the Democratic nomination, Jeffries, who represents a diverse district, has yet to commit, citing the need for further "conversations" before offering his support.
During a 60 Minutes interview with ABC's Jonathan Karl, Jeffries was pressed on his hesitance to back Mamdani. While he didn’t rule out endorsing the candidate altogether, Jeffries indicated that it would be a "conversation" that would come closer to early voting, which is just around the corner.
“I have not [endorsed him],” Jeffries bluntly admitted when asked about Mamdani. “I expect to have a conversation with him at some point this week, in advance of early voting which begins next weekend in New York City.”
Jeffries’ reluctance to offer an endorsement raises questions, as the usual course for a congressman of his stature would be to back the party’s nominee without hesitation. But Jeffries did not offer a direct answer to the reason behind his delay. Instead, he referenced previous “good conversations” about making New York City more affordable and improving conditions for its residents, but failed to directly address Karl’s question about what was holding him back.
Despite Mamdani’s claim to the Democratic socialist label, Jeffries has long emphasized the need for clarity from the candidate on key issues. In the past, he has specifically called on Mamdani to clarify his stance on Israel, especially after controversial comments from the mayoral candidate about boycotting Israel and his statement regarding potentially having Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrested if he visited New York.
Jeffries, who represents a district with a significant Jewish population, 11% of whom are Jewish, has made it clear that any nominee must address the rise in antisemitism in the city. As he pointed out, phrases like "globalizing the Intifada" are unacceptable, and Mamdani will need to prove he can effectively tackle these sensitive issues before gaining the full backing of New York's diverse communities.
Mamdani’s support for the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement has raised further concern among constituents in Jeffries’ district, especially those with ties to Israel. This conflict of priorities within the party may be the reason Jeffries is treading carefully.
As early voting approaches, it seems that Jeffries is holding off on a commitment. Whether he’ll endorse Mamdani remains to be seen, but one thing’s for sure—he’s not going to rush into it.
