Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Endorses Zohran Mamdani as Top Choice for Mayor

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, New York City’s most prominent progressive leader, endorsed Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani for mayor on Thursday, throwing her clout behind an upstart socialist who has galvanized young voters.

The endorsement, shared in an interview with The New York Times, represented perhaps the most significant attempt yet to push fractured progressives toward a single strategy to block former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s path back to power.

“Assemblymember Mamdani has demonstrated a real ability on the ground to put together a coalition of working-class New Yorkers that is strongest to lead the pack,” Ms. Ocasio-Cortez said. “In the final stretch of the race, we need to get very real about that.”

Time is of the essence. With just weeks left before the June 24 Democratic primary, Mr. Cuomo has maintained a steady polling lead, stirring memories of 2021, when progressives did not coalesce and lost the mayoralty to a moderate.



https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/05/nyregion/aoc-endorse-mamdani-mayor.html?unlocked_article_code=1.Mk8.DgW8.Pkuw1m5Gcj5s