NYC's biggest health care union joins groups dumping Cuomo for Mamdani

The country's largest health care union, 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, has endorsed Democratic mayoral hopeful Zohran Mamdani, reversing its previous endorsement of Andrew Cuomo even after the former governor officially relaunched his campaign this week.

The union’s executive council voted to endorse Mamdani, a progressive who is running on a campaign to make the city more affordable. The union represents 200,000 New York City workers.

Cuomo, a Democrat now running as an independent, has a long history of working with 1199 from Albany, where much of New York’s health care policy is shaped, and his mayoral campaign has emphasized his depth of political experience. But Mamdani’s Democratic primary performance made him the party’s clear front-runner.

The union is the latest of several major labor groups to endorse Mamdani after he led the primary, including others that jumped ship from Cuomo. Those that made the switch include the Hotel and Gaming Trades Council and Local 32BJ of the Service Employees International Union.

While endorsements generally tend not to move the electoral needle much, labor endorsements often come with sophisticated ground games and the support of members.

Mamdani also recently secured endorsements from DC 37, the largest union representing city workers, and the New York State Nurses Association. The United Federation of Teachers did not endorse a candidate in the Democratic primary because members were deeply divided between Cuomo and Mamdani, UFT President Michael Mulgrew said last month, but the union has since come out in favor of Mamdani.

The executive council at 1199 decided to endorse Mamdani after a major shakeup in the union’s leadership. Its longtime President George Gresham, who supported Cuomo, was ousted in an upset election in May by Yvonne Armstrong, who previously led 1199’s long-term care division.

“Working people across New York City are uniting to defend our neighborhoods and our city from unprecedented attacks from extremist politicians and their billionaire donors who are taking away health care, ripping families apart and endangering our democracy,” Armstrong said in a statement Friday, framing Mamdani as the union’s pick to fight against Trump administration policies.

In a statement on the endorsement, Mamdani called 1199 members, who work in nursing homes, hospitals and home health care, “the best of what our city has to offer.”

A spokesperson for Cuomo did not immediately respond to a request for comment.