Mamdani’s risky New York primary endorsements could cost Democrats

It’s hard to believe that it was only a year ago that Zohran Mamdani stunned many New Yorkers, as well as much of the rest of the country, by winning the Democratic primary for New York City mayor. Furthermore, he did it with a crushing 12-point victory over the heavily favored former Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Establishment Democratic politicians were left with their jaws on the ground, wondering what to do next — and how to avoid the same fate.

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However, just six months into his term, Mayor Mandani is shocking that same political establishment again, and this time the consequences could significantly affect not just the 2026 elections, but the 2028 presidential election as well.

New York holds its Democratic congressional primary election Tuesday, and not since 1994 — when Republican Mayor Rudy Giuliani endorsed the incumbent Democratic Gov. Mario Cuomo over his GOP challenger George Pataki in 1994 — has a New York mayor bucked their party in such spectacular fashion.

While Mamdani has endorsed several state legislative candidates, he’s also made a splash on the national stage in three congressional races — backing former New York City Comptroller Brad Lander over two-term Rep. Dan Goldman; community organizer Darializa Avila Chevalier over five-term Rep. Adriano Espaillat, chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus; and Assemblymember Claire Valdez over Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, who was endorsed for the seat by retiring Rep. Nydia Velazquez.

Mandani’s endorsement of Lander is understandable. During the 2025 Democratic primary for mayor, Lander was polling in the single digits when he cross-endorsed Mamdani in the ranked choice contest — a boon to Mamdani’s fortunes and a blow to Cuomo’s. Lander then went on to be a top surrogate for Mamdani in the Jewish community. Mamdani returning the favor with an endorsement can easily be seen as an exercise in loyalty, but also perhaps a little payback to House Minority Leader and fellow New Yorker Hakeem Jeffries, who didn’t endorse Mamdani for mayor until just 11 days before the general election.

But it’s the mayor’s endorsement of the insurgent candidates Valdez and Avila Chevalier that have captured the attention of New York’s political class, as both are democratic socialists leaning hard into that far-left messaging — just like Mamdani.