Since his election, Mayor Zohran Mamdani has used his growing influence to try to shape some of this year’s congressional races and state legislative contests, causing some friction with his fellow Democrats.
Now Mr. Mamdani has decided to put his weight behind a City Council candidate, Lindsey Boylan, the first woman to accuse former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of sexual harassment.
The endorsement suggests some lingering animosity between the mayor and Mr. Cuomo, who has continued his criticism of Mr. Mamdani since losing the mayor’s race to him in November. But Mr. Mamdani said that he had decided to back Ms. Boylan, a fellow member of the Democratic Socialists of America, because she shared many of his views.
The endorsement also comes as Mr. Mamdani looks to grow his support within the 51-member City Council, whose leader, Julie Menin, has shown an eagerness to challenge the mayor — despite a recent compromise that suggested that their feud had started to thaw.
“Lindsey Boylan represents the kind of fearless leadership this movement demands,” Mr. Mamdani said in a statement. “She has shown a willingness to tell hard truths, to challenge entrenched power and to stand up for working people even when it isn’t easy. That courage matters.”
Ms. Boylan is running in a special election to fill a recently vacated seat on the West Side of Manhattan, a high-turnout bastion of left-leaning politics. Early voting begins on Saturday for the nonpartisan election, which will be held April 28 and will utilize the city’s relatively new ranked-choice voting system.
Mr. Mamdani’s endorsement puts him at odds with Ms. Menin, who is backing another candidate, Carl Wilson, in the race, as are two prior City Council speakers who previously represented the same district, Christine Quinn and Corey Johnson. Also endorsing Mr. Wilson is Mark Levine, the city comptroller.
“As we work to usher in a new era in our city’s politics and advance our affordability agenda,” Mr. Mamdani said, “I need partners in the work like Lindsey.”
Mr. Cuomo, who denied the allegation leveled by Ms. Boylan, and Mr. Mamdani split the vote on the West Side of Manhattan during last year’s Democratic primary. Manhattan remains the borough where Mr. Mamdani enjoys his highest level of support, according to a recent Marist Institute for Public Opinion poll. The survey found 48 percent of city residents approve of his job performance, 30 percent disapprove and 74 percent believe he is working hard.
The mayor is expected to join Ms. Boylan for at least one campaign event, according to one of his political aides.
In a statement responding to the mayor’s endorsement, Ms. Boylan said, “Our city has demanded a new era of leadership and a politics that puts working New Yorkers before corporate interests. Last year, Zohran Mamdani was elected on a bold, transformative vision for New York and the mayor needs allies in the City Council who will fight tooth and nail to take on the cost-of-living crisis.”
This endorsement is as much a sign of gratitude as it is an effort to shore up support in the City Council.
Ms. Boylan endorsed Mr. Mamdani in the mayoral primary and was vocal in her critiques of Mr. Cuomo, who resigned from office in 2021, following a state attorney general report substantiating allegations he sexually harassed a dozen women. He denies those allegations and has questioned the veracity of the report.
Subsequently, Mr. Cuomo’s team leaked personnel documents on Ms. Boylan to reporters; in them, staffers reported to human resources officials that Ms. Boylan had mistreated them, including accounts of “harassing” and “belittling” behavior.
Sally Goldenberg is a Times reporter covering New York City politics and government.
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