In the New York City mayoral race, challengers seeking to unseat the embattled incumbent, Eric Adams, are vying for any edge to help them emerge from a crowded pack of mostly progressive Democratic candidates.
One such challenger, State Senator Zellnor Myrie, received such a boost on Monday, when he appeared on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” — a coveted stop to reach Democratic voters — to announce an endorsement from Representative Dan Goldman of New York.
The endorsement by Mr. Goldman, a former prosecutor who led the first impeachment case against President Trump and was rumored to be considering a mayoral run himself, was notable because of its timing and because of Mr. Goldman’s background.
When Mr. Goldman won an open House seat for a district in Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan in 2022, he did so by pushing his law-enforcement background and by adopting more moderate views than most of his challengers. His backing of Mr. Myrie, an avowed progressive from Brooklyn, also comes early in the endorsement cycle.
Mr. Goldman praised him as a “true visionary” who would stand up to Mr. Trump.
“For me, it was important if I was going to jump in, to do it early when it could make the most difference,” Mr. Goldman said at a news conference with Mr. Myrie outside City Hall, a few hours after the “Morning Joe” appearance.
With the primary election only four months away, the race is unusually volatile. Mr. Adams, a Democrat who is running for a second term, is facing record low approval ratings. Former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo is considering entering the race and leads in the polls.
Indeed, by Monday evening, the race was jolted once again when the Justice Department directed federal prosecutors to drop bribery and corruption charges against Mr. Adams. Mr. Adams has pleaded not guilty and argued that the prosecution was politically motivated.
The other candidates have been trying to position themselves as the preferred alternative to Mr. Adams or Mr. Cuomo, but most are polling at 10 percent or less. A well-timed endorsement can help, giving a candidate a measure of legitimacy at a critical moment when they are trying to convince donors and others that they are a serious challenger.
Some endorsements carry more weight than others. Progressive voters could by swayed by Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who is friendly with several left-leaning candidates. Representative Adriano Espaillat, a kingmaker among Latino voters who backed Mr. Adams in 2021, is another coveted endorser. But timing is also important: Ms. Ocasio-Cortez waited until the final month of the 2021 campaign to endorse Maya Wiley, who ended up third in ranked-choice voting.
Unions also provide critical support, and Mr. Adams is close with two major unions: the Hotel & Gaming Trades Council and 32BJ SEIU, which represents doormen and building workers.
The possibility that Mr. Cuomo might enter the race has loomed large. Mr. Myrie said at the news conference on Monday that he was prepared to run against the former governor, who resigned in 2021 after a series of sexual harassment allegations, which he has denied.
“Part of why I ran for State Senate back in 2018 is because under Cuomo, Albany was failing New Yorkers and failing my Black constituents in particular,” Mr. Myrie said. “We bore the brunt of his failures,” he added, pointing to education funding cuts and weak tenant protections.
Mr. Goldman did not just offer his enthusiasm for Mr. Myrie on Monday. He also sent a fund-raising appeal to his email list.
Scott Stringer, a former city comptroller who is running for mayor, has highlighted several endorsements from key Manhattan leaders, including Representative Jerry Nadler, who said that Mr. Stringer had the right “vision, experience, and competence” to run the city.
Brad Lander, the current city comptroller, has support from Jumaane Williams, the public advocate, and Tiffany Cabán, a progressive City Council member, who both agreed to rank Mr. Lander first or second on their ballots under the city’s new ranked-choice voting system.
Zohran Mamdani, a state lawmaker from Queens who has gained momentum among progressives, was endorsed by the New York City Democratic Socialists of America and the left-leaning New York Communities for Change.
Even more endorsements have arrived in the comptroller’s race to replace Mr. Lander. Mark Levine, the Manhattan borough president, was endorsed by Mr. Goldman and Mr. Espaillat. Justin Brannan, a City Council member from Brooklyn, was endorsed by the Transport Workers Union and several state and city lawmakers.
Their momentum and fund-raising prompted Jenifer Rajkumar, a state lawmaker from Queens who is close to Mr. Adams, to leave the comptroller race to run for public advocate, calling herself the “Queen of Queens.”
Mr. Williams welcomed her to his race by announcing more than a dozen endorsements from officials in Queens.
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