Sanders endorses socialist Mamdani in move to block Cuomo in NYC mayoral race

Rising democratic socialist New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani has secured the backing of one of the most influential figures on the American Left as he looks to edge out former Gov. Andrew Cuomo for the Democratic nomination.

Mamdani, 33, a New York state assembly member, on Tuesday secured the backing of former presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.

It’s a major boost for Mamdani, who has also scored the endorsement of progressive firebrand Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., thereby locking in the two most prominent national figures of the Left. Ocasio-Cortez and Sanders took part in a nationwide "Fighting Oligarchy Tour" earlier this year which tapped into discontent with President Donald Trump and sought to energize the democratic socialist movement while advocating for policies similar to Mamdani.  

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"We need a new politics and new leadership which is prepared to stand up to powerful corporate interests and fight for the working class," Sanders said in a statement, according to several reports. 

"Zohran Mamdani is running an inspirational grassroots campaign, centered on the construction of 200,000 new affordable housing units, a rent freeze, free public buses, cutting fines and fees for small businesses, investing in citywide mental health services, city-owned grocery stores, universal free childcare and a minimum wage increase."

Sanders also said that Mamdani will pay for his agenda by taxing the richest 1% of New Yorkers, and said that his campaign is being funded largely through small-dollar donations, "unlike the corporate Democratic establishment," in a dig at Cuomo.

Mamdani has been rising in the most recent public opinion polls in the mayoral primary race and is now a clear second to the more moderate former governor.

"At this dangerous moment in history, status quo politics isn’t good enough," Sanders, who was born in Brooklyn, wrote on X on Tuesday, sharing a Mamdani post about his endorsement. "We need new leadership that is prepared to stand up to powerful corporate interests and fight for the working class."

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Mamdani, who was born in Uganda and moved to the U.S. when he was 7, gushed over the endorsement in his post.

"As for so many across this country, @BernieSanders has been the single most influential political figure in my life," Mamdani wrote. "As mayor, I will strive to live up to his example by fighting for the working class every day and hopefully make Brooklyn’s own proud."

With multiple progressive candidates in the primary race, the endorsement of Mamdani by Sanders seeks to unite fractured progressive voters towards a single candidate in an attempt to block the more moderate Cuomo from returning to power. 

New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and state Sen. Jessica Ramos are among the progressives still in the race. Ramos has even endorsed Cuomo while staying in the race herself. 

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Four years ago, New York City's progressives failed to unite behind a single candidate, which paved the way for now-Mayor Eric Adams, a moderate Democrat, to win the primary and eventually the general election. Adams announced in early April that he would run for re-election as an independent candidate rather than seek the Democratic Party nomination.

Early voting kicked off on Saturday, with Election Day being on June 24.

Sanders was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1991, serving for 16 years before being elected to the Senate.

Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.