Mamdani is on an endorsement blitz – what does it say about his plan for the left?

The New York Knicks are on an epic playoff run. The World Cup is here. And amid sizzling summer weather and a sports-induced, joyful buzz that has seized New York City in recent days, mayor Zohran Mamdani has been more ubiquitous than ever – donning an Arsenal kurta, Knicks gear and an affordable, NYC-inspired World Cup soccer jersey he himself launched as he zipped across the five boroughs from one event to the next.

Early voting in New York also kicks off this weekend, in the first primary election since the November victory that cemented Mamdani as a political prodigy and hope of the left. Six months into his first term as New York City mayor and after early wins on issues like childcare and taxing the rich, he has been boosting fellow leftists in an effort to capitalize on his popularity to promote politicians – from Washington to Albany – aligned with the socialist, pro-Palestinian values that got him elected.

He has not been afraid to ruffle feathers in the process, particularly as he has thrown his support behind three congressional candidates – Brad Lander, Claire Valdez, and Darializa Avila Chevalier – who are challenging incumbents or incumbent-backed candidates supported by the Democratic establishment. But he has also not been immune to criticism from his political base within the rising Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), a political home for Mamdani whose membership has tripled since they first backed him and which is now fielding its largest-ever number of candidates for political office, only some of whom have won the mayor’s support.

“Some observers were sort of taken aback that Mamdani would be so involved with making political endorsements as he’s been,” said Christopher Robbins, an editor and co-founder of the New York City-focused publication Hell Gate. “But his campaign was unique in that it captured the imagination of the whole country, if not the world. In that respect, it makes sense that he’s trying to muster as much of the power that he has, when he has it, to back the candidates and issues that he believes in.”

Gustavo Gordillo, a co-chair of DSA’s New York City chapter, said that Mamdani is “very invested in building a bench of democratic socialist legislators” because he understands he can’t implement his vision alone.

“If we want to pass the full affordability agenda, we need to continue to contest for power and grow our numbers,” he added. “It’s not enough to just elect one charismatic mayor. We need to find the next AOC, the next Zohran.”

Mamdani’s endorsement of former city comptroller Lander – a favorite to defeat incumbent Dan Goldman in New York’s 10th congressional district, one of the wealthiest and most liberal districts in the country – was hardly a surprise. The two cross-endorsed in the city’s ranked-choice mayoral primary and Lander, who is Jewish, played a pivotal role in Mamdani’s outreach to Jewish voters.

Shortly after being elected, Mamdani backed Lander over DSA’s pick for the district, Alexa Avilés, who ultimately decided not to run – a choice that earned him some criticism from fellow leftists at the time.

But the mayor did throw his weight behind two other DSA congressional candidates, in recent endorsements that rankled longtime politicians who said Mamdani had broken promises in the process. In January, he endorsed Valdez, a state representative and union organizer, in the race for New York’s seventh congressional district, which covers parts of Brooklyn and Queens. Then late last month, Mamdani went on national television to endorse Avila Chevalier, a political newcomer challenging a five-term incumbent in a district, New York’s 13th, that spans Harlem and parts of the Bronx. Mamdani won in both those districts by significant margins – and observers pointed to surging support in those areas for the socialist politics he represents, to argue that the endorsements were strategic and reflect his confidence in those candidates’ odds.

Mamdani appeared in a televised ad with all three candidates during a Knicks game last week, throwing a basketball around as they riffed about blocking billionaires from buying elections, abolishing ICE and standing up against bad landlords and greedy corporations.

“New York, we know anything is possible with a great team,” the mayor said in the 30-second video. “This is the team, this is our year.”

A spokesperson for the mayor did not respond to a request for comment.

The endorsements are a reflection of an unprecedented opportunity to push the Democratic party to the left. “The iron is really hot right now,” said Michael Lange, a political analyst who is writing a book about Mamdani’s campaign.

But he also noted the endorsements appeared at least in part to be an effort by Mamdani to reassure his base – and particularly the many young, socialist and pro-Palestinian voters who canvassed for him in the tens of thousands and who turned out to vote in unprecedented numbers. Valdez and Avila Chevalier, in particular, are outspoken advocates for Palestinian rights with backgrounds in labor and community organizing.

Mamdani has earned some pushback from that base over concessions he has made while governing, especially on policing. Once a supporter of abolishing the police, he has walked back that position, and his decision to keep as commissioner Jessica Tisch, a pro-Israel member of a prominent billionaire family, has earned him significant criticism.

The endorsements are Mamdani’s way of showing his base that “even though I’m a mayor, I will still stand by you”, said Lange.

Some observers say the endorsements are a gamble – a “high risk, high reward” move, as a political strategist who worked on Mamdani’s campaign put it.

Both the Valdez and Avila Chevalier endorsements were met with backlash among more established Democrats. Valdez is running against Antonio Reynoso, the Brooklyn borough president and handpicked successor of Nydia Velázquez, the first Puerto Rican woman to serve in Congress who is considered a progressive giant of New York City politics. And in endorsing Avila Chevalier, Mamdani reportedly broke a promise to incumbent Adriano Espaillat, who had endorsed him in the general election after having previously backed Mamdani’s rival, disgraced governor Andrew Cuomo.

Velázquez, in a blistering interview with Politico, accused Mamdani of being untrustworthy. “Your actions are raising serious concerns about taking you at your word,” the veteran lawmaker said. “And that is very, very, very problematic in this business.”

Others see the move as a sign of Mamdani’s ideological consistency. Espaillat, a pro-business moderate, earned criticism for never reaching out to his constituent Mahmoud Khalil, the Palestinian activist who has become the face of the Trump administration’s crackdown on speech, until Avila Chevalier criticized him for it. She, on the other hand, has come under attack for her pro-Palestinian positions and attending a rally against Israel on 8 October 2023.

Still, Mamdani was more cautious when endorsing candidates for state office. There, he only endorsed fellow socialist candidates who are running for open seats – only three of the seven candidates DSA has backed – in an apparent effort not to cross legislators he’ll need to work with.

The organization issued a somewhat critical statement, praising the mayor for the endorsements he offered but expressing disappointment that he hadn’t endorsed more.

The big question on many minds of progressives outside New York is whether Mamdani will look to take his political capital outside New York City.

Robbins, of Hell Gate, pointed to Bernie Sanders, the Vermont senator whom Mamdani has described as a mentor and inspiration and who in recent years has embarked on nationwide tours and backed progressive candidates in races for office across the country.

“Bernie is all over the country, stumping for the issues and the candidates he thinks are important to uplifting working-class Americans,” he said. “Will Mamdani become that sort of figure? I think it’s a little too early, but I could see it happening, for sure.”