AOC takes swipe at Schumer and Jeffries for refusing to back socialist Zohran Mamdani in NYC mayor race
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez took aim at top Democrats Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries — along with other party establishment figures — on Thursday for refusing to endorse Zohran Mamdani in New York City’s mayoral race.
The progressive “Squad” member pointed out that she ultimately supported former President Joe Biden when he became the Democratic nominee in 2020, even though her preferred candidate was Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.
“We have a Democratic nominee. Are we a party who rallies behind our nominee or not?,” Ocasio-Cortez, a Mamdani supporter, told NY1 when asked about Schumer and Jeffries declining to back the Democratic mayoral nominee.
“Because what we do is we use our primary to settle our differences, and once we have a nominee we rally behind that nominee,” the congresswoman added. Like Mamdani, she is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America.
“I am very concerned about the example that is being set by anybody in our party … if an individual doesn’t want to support the party’s nominee now, it complicates their ability to ask voters to support any nominee later.”
Gov. Kathy Hochul has also not weighed in on Mamdani, after the Queens Assemblyman defeated former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and others in the June primary.
Schumer, the Senate Democratic minority leader, and Jeffries, the House Democratic minority leader, have other political priorities at play. Both are focused on regaining majority control of Congress in the upcoming midterm elections.
Republicans are already using Mamdani’s candidacy to attack Democrats in swing districts, tying him to policies like democratic socialism and his past comments about “defunding the police” — remarks that remain unpopular with many voters. Mamdani now insists he does not support reducing police budgets.
Moderates within the party are working to distance themselves from Mamdani, with some outright rejecting him. Rep. Tom Suozzi, who represents parts of Queens and Nassau County in the 3rd District, went so far as to suggest that Mamdani and other DSA members should split from Democrats entirely and start their own left-wing party.
Jeffries, speaking in an interview with Don Lemon on Thursday morning, said, “I just haven’t weighed in one way or the other. But stay tuned. I’ll have more to say [about the race] when I’m back in New York City. Sometime soon.”
Schumer, when asked about the race, declined to give a comment.
