Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont has endorsed Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani in the New York City mayoral race, joining a growing list of progressive leaders rallying behind the 33-year-old candidate. The endorsement marks a significant boost for Mamdani as he challenges Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary set for June 24.
Sanders praised Mamdani’s campaign as “an inspirational grassroots campaign,” commending his platform focused on affordable housing and free public transportation, funded by higher taxes on the wealthy and corporations. Sanders emphasized the need for “visionary leadership” and argued that “status-quo politics is not good enough,” framing Mamdani as the candidate best equipped to challenge corporate influence and represent working-class New Yorkers.
The endorsement lends weight to Mamdani’s surging campaign, which has also been backed by Congresswomen Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Nydia Velázquez. Ocasio-Cortez recently appeared with Mamdani at a rally in Manhattan’s Terminal 5, drawing thousands of supporters. Velázquez, a senior figure in New York politics, lent her support earlier this week.
Mamdani responded to Sanders’s endorsement on social media, writing that the senator “has been the single most influential political figure in my life.” He added, “As mayor, I will strive to live up to his example by fighting for the working class every day and hopefully make Brooklyn’s own proud.”
The Democratic primary is being conducted using ranked-choice voting, which allows voters to rank up to five candidates. Mamdani has formed strategic alliances with City Comptroller Brad Lander and former Assemblymember Michael Blake, urging their supporters to list each other as alternate choices.
As early voting continues through June 22, Mamdani’s campaign is leaning heavily on its volunteer network and grassroots organizing to counter Cuomo’s media presence in the final stretch.
