New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani is seeking to put his stamp on the city’s congressional delegation with a trio of endorsements against incumbent lawmakers and their picks, a move that could further expand the power of his democratic socialist movement or thwart its progress — and dent his own image in the process.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.“This is high-risk, high reward,” said Rebecca Katz, the prominent Democratic strategist and ally whose firm worked with Mamdani during his 2025 run.“He’s not afraid to take some big swings.”Politically, the endorsements mark Mamdani’s biggest swings yet as mayor.
He’s backed former New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, who joined forces with Mamdani in last year’s mayoral election, in a contest to oust Rep.Dan Goldman in a district split between Manhattan and Brooklyn.In another Brooklyn and Queens seat, Mamdani backed state Assemblywoman Claire Valdez in a contest against Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso — the choice of the district’s long-serving retiring incumbent, progressive Rep.
Nydia Velasquez.And in a district in The Bronx and Manhattan, Mamdani recently announced his support for activist and organizer Darializa Avila Chevalier over Rep.Adriano Espaillat, chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.The three candidates appeared alongside Mamdani in an ad that ran Wednesday following Game 1 of the NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs.
“New York, we know anything is possible with a great team,” Mamdani said before each of his three endorsees was introduced.“Get out and vote, this is the team.
This is our year.”In a statement, Mamdani said his endorsed candidates “will fight for everyday working New Yorkers; they’ll take on corporate greed and protect our immigrant communities” and make sure residents “can afford the city they love.”A fight to change the partyThe races p...