Rep. AOC endorses Zohran Mamdani in NYC mayor's race

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez endorsed Zohran Mamdani on Thursday in the upcoming Democratic primary for New York City mayor, the state assemblymember's campaign said — delivering a jolt to the crowded race with less than nine days until early voting starts.

"Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is a once-in-a-generation leader and I am honored to have her endorsement as we seek to turn the page on the broken politics of the past," Mamdani, who represents parts of Queens, said in a statement. "In Washington, the Congresswoman has been a tireless advocate for working people as she has led the fight against Donald Trump. That’s exactly the kind of leadership we will deliver to New York."

Ocasio-Cortez’s popularity has increased in recent months as she and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders have crisscrossed the country holding “Fighting Oligarchy” rallies focused on the influence of billionaires and foreign money in President Donald Trump’s administration.

Representatives for Ocasio-Cortez did not immediately respond to an inquiry. The New York Times first reported her endorsement in an interview where she said Mamdani is the best candidate who can mobilize a coalition of working-class voters to defeat former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who has been leading in polls.

Many progressives had been hoping Ocasio-Cortez would step into the race. She chose a candidate who is similar to her. Both are democratic socialists who focus on economic issues. They are also young, charismatic speakers who are adept at communicating on social media.

But in a sign she believes the effort to beat Cuomo will require a diverse coalition of contenders, Ocasio-Cortez told the Times she would rank City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams as her second choice, followed by City Comptroller Brad Lander, former Comptroller Scott Stringer, and state Sen. Zellnor Myrie of Brooklyn.

Progressive groups are pushing a “don’t rank Cuomo” message, urging voters to leave him off their ranked-choice ballots.

Cuomo has already attacked Ocasio-Cortez on the campaign trail, painting her during a private fundraiser as a member of the “far left” who helped kill a deal to bring an Amazon headquarters to Queens. During an interview with the Daily Beast, he accused her and Sanders of capitalizing on voters’ fears of Trump.

Cuomo fended off attacks at Wednesday night’s mayoral debate, and questioned Mamdani’s experience.

“Mr. Mamdani is very good at videos, but not reality,” Cuomo said.

“Donald Trump would go through Mr. Mamdani like a hot knife through butter,” he added, pointing to the assemblymember’s limited legislative record.

This is a developing story and may be updated.