NYC Mayor's Race: Lander (D) 'grateful,' not disappointed, over AOC third-place mayoral endorsement

Comptroller and mayoral candidate Brad Lander commented Thursday on US Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s endorsement of Lander as her third choice on the ranked-choice mayoral ballot.

Ocasio-Cortez endorsed Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani as her first choice in an interview with the New York Times published Thursday morning.

“I was grateful to have AOC’s support when I ran for comptroller, I’m grateful to have her support in running for mayor,” Lander said after a reporter asked if he was disappointed to have been ranked third. “I will keep making the case that I’m the candidate in this race who best combines the progressive values that this city is founded on and the proven management and leadership experience to deliver on my promises.”

The endorsement carries weight for mayoral candidates in the Democratic primary, all of whom are seeking support from the progressive voters that sent Ocasio-Cortez to Congress in 2018. In her endorsement — in which she ranked Mamdani first, New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams second, Lander third, former Comptroller Scott Stringer fourth, and State Senator Zellnor Myrie fifth — she emphasized her belief that progressives need to coalesce and defeat former Gov. Andrew Cuomo.




https://www.amny.com/news/nyc-mayors-race-lander-grateful-not-disappointed-over-aoc-third-place-mayoral-endorsement/