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Democratic New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani lost the endorsement of a longtime state party leader despite having the backing of New York Gov. Kathy Hochul.
New York State Democratic Committee (NYSDC) Chairman Jay Jacobs announced this week that he will not back Mamdani for mayor despite Democratic voters selecting the Democratic socialist as the party’s nominee.
“Mr. Mamdani and I are in agreement that America’s greatest problem is the continued growth of income disparity in our nation,” Jacobs said in a statement to The Hill. “On how to address it — we fundamentally disagree.”
The Hill reported that the NYSDC leader said that he disagreed with Mamdani’s stance on Israel.
Mamdani has been a vocal critic of Israel’s actions throughout the war against Hamas terrorists in Gaza. His stance on the issue has become a major topic of the campaign cycle, particularly when he refused to condemn the phrase “globalize the intifada,” which some view as a call for violence against Jews. Mamdani has since distanced himself from the phrase, saying he would discourage his supporters from using it.
While he would not back Mamdani for mayor, Jacobs dismissed “fearmongering” surrounding the self-described Democratic socialist’s campaign as “a gross over-reaction.”
It remains unclear how the loss of Jacobs’ endorsement will affect Mamdani’s campaign.
However, it could have an impact on Jacobs’ position as a leader of the party. According to Politico, Jacobs said he would resign from his post if Hochul were to request it.
“If the governor should ever ask any state chair to resign, they should resign,” Jacobs told Politico.
Hochul announced her endorsement of Mamdani in an opinion piece in The New York Times on Sept. 14.
She shared the article on X and captioned the post, “New York City deserves a mayor who will stand up to Donald Trump and make life more affordable for New Yorkers. That’s [Zohran Mamdani].”
A recent Quinnipiac University survey showed Mamdani garnering 45% support among likely New York City voters. He was followed by former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo at 23%, Guardian Angels co-founder Curtis Sliwa at 15%, and New York City Mayor Eric Adams at 12%. Cuomo and Adams are running as independents, while Sliwa is running as a Republican.
Fox News Digital reached out to Jacobs, Mamdani and Hochul but did not immediately hear back.
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