Last month, a few days after New York's Democratic mayoral primary, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., sat for an interview with ABC News. Asked whether he would endorse state Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani in the general election after Mamdani had effectively won the primary in a shocking upset, Jeffries declined. "We don't really know each other well," the congressman said. But he added he was looking forward to a "sit-down" with Mamdani to clarify his vision and his positions on various issues.

Jeffries and Mamdani had that sit-down Friday, but afterward, the Democratic leader still declined to endorse the Democratic nominee for mayor of New York, which includes the congressional district Jeffries represents. Politico reported that Mamdani left the meeting Friday "about an hour later with only the promise of another meeting."

…But Mamdani probably doesn't need Jeffries and company's endorsements to win the race. The absence of their endorsements could, theoretically, even give him a slight boost by riling up his devoted base….Mamdani would also have more to fear from Schumer and others not backing him if he wasn't winning any endorsements from Democrats. Yet he has backing from the likes of a number of New York Democrats, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rep. Jerrold Nadler, one of the city's most prominent Jewish leaders. Mamdani is also winning over powerful labor unions that had endorsed Cuomo in the Democratic primary, as well as local party organizations.

If Jeffries and other top Democrats ultimately refuse to ever endorse the new rising star in their party, that could only serve as further confirmation to Mamdani's base — which includes a massive grassroots army of volunteers — that he's the real deal. And it would cement the antiestablishment aura that catapulted him to his first victory.

https://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/amp/rcna220025