AOC backs rising progressive candidate in NYC Dem primary in push to defeat frontrunner Cuomo

Progressive champion Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York is weighing successful connected New York City's Democratic mayoral race, with a long-expected endorsement coming little than 3 weeks earlier the city's June 24th primary.

Ocasio-Cortez, the four-term lawmaker who represents a legislature territory successful The Bronx and Queens and New York City's astir salient person connected the left, backed authorities assemblyman Zohran Mamdani for politician connected Thursday.

"Assemblymember Mamdani has demonstrated a existent quality connected the crushed to enactment unneurotic a conjugation of working-class New Yorkers that is strongest to pb the pack," Ocasio-Cortez said a connection to The New York Times, which was archetypal to study the news. "In the last agelong of the race, we request to get precise existent astir that."

CUOMO DINGED BY FELLOW DEOMCRATS AT NYC MAYORAL PRIMARY DEBATE

Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, seen speaking astatine a municipality hallway gathering connected May 2, 2025 successful New York City, connected Thursday made an endorsement successful the upcoming New York City Democratic mayoral primary.  (David Dee Delgado/Getty Images)

Mamdani has been rising successful the astir caller nationalist sentiment polls and is present a wide 2nd to frontrunner and erstwhile New York State Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the latest surveys.

With aggregate progressive candidates successful the superior race, the endorsement of Mamdani by Ocasio-Cortez is seen arsenic a determination to unite fractured progressive voters towards a azygous campaigner successful an effort to artifact the much mean Cuomo from returning to power. 

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The now-35-year-old Ocasio-Cortez made past successful 2018 with her decision of a longtime House Democrat and past grabbed nationalist attraction successful the ensuing years arsenic the most-visible subordinate of a tiny but increasing radical of younger, diverse, progressive House members known arsenic "The Squad."

Mayoral campaigner Zohran Mamdani, a New York State assemblyman, speaks astatine a rally connected May 10, 2025.  He was endorsed connected Thursday by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. (REUTERS/Bing Guan) (REUTERS/Bing Guan)

And her endorsement of Mamdani seems to acceptable her mold. The 33-year-old assembly subordinate from Queens is simply a idiosyncratic of colour and a antiauthoritarian socialist who is primitively from Uganda.

"Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is simply a once-in-a-generation person who has led the combat for moving radical successful Congress. In 2018, she shocked the satellite and transformed our politics," Mamdani said successful a societal media station aft quality of the endorsement.

And helium predicted, "On June 24, with @AOC’s enactment and this question down us, we volition bash the same."

Mamdani says helium wants to marque riding connected metropolis buses free, frost increases successful rent connected rent-stabilized apartments and unfastened city-run market stores. He would wage for his level by implementing a $10 cardinal taxation hike connected businesses and the ultra-wealthy.

Four years ago, New York City's progressives failed to unite down a azygous candidate, which allowed now-Mayor Eric Adams, a mean Democrat, to triumph the superior and yet the wide election.

With his canvass numbers plummeting, Adams announced successful aboriginal April that helium would tally for re-election arsenic an autarkic campaigner alternatively than question the Democratic Party nomination.

Ocasio-Cortez's endorsement came 9 days earlier aboriginal voting successful the superior kicks disconnected connected June 14, and the greeting aft the archetypal of 2 Democratic mayoral superior debates was held.

Democratic mayoral candidates Andrew Cuomo, acold left, and Zohran Mamdani, 2nd from right, contiguous arguments arsenic Whitney Tilson, 2nd from left, and Michael Blake look connected during a Democratic mayoral superior debate, Wednesday, June 4, 2025, successful New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura, Pool) (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura, Pool)

Mamdani and galore of his rivals for the information took purpose astatine Cuomo during Wednesday night's combustible debate.

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Cuomo pushed backmost astatine Mamdani, characterizing him arsenic excessively acold to the near and inexperienced.

Cuomo, a erstwhile three-term politician who resigned from bureau successful 2021 amid aggregate scandals, is aiming for governmental redemption arsenic helium works to propulsion disconnected a run comeback.