Though Democratic socialist New York City mayoral hopeful Zohran Mamdani has been riding high in the polls for months, he has also been a source of controversy within his party regarding the reluctance of some to offer full-throated support.
Now, with Election Day growing nearer, New Jersey Democrat gubernatorial Mikie Sherrill is among those walking a tightrope between endorsing the far-left firebrand next door and attempting to keep her distance from such a polarizing figure, as Fox News reports.
The national attention that has been trained on the Big Apple’s mayoral contest is undeniable, and it is starting to have an impact on seemingly unrelated races, in part due to GOP efforts to link Mamdani’s extreme agenda to the national Democratic Party.
As such, Sherrill has been pressed to weigh in on whether she stands in support of Mamdani’s bid to helm New York City, a question that has put more than a few liberal politicians in an uncomfortable position in recent months.
At a recent gubernatorial candidate forum, Sherrill was again asked to declare whether she is endorsing Mamdani’s candidacy, and it soon became clear that she wanted no part of the discussion.
“I am not getting engaged in that race because I’m completely focused on New Jersey. I’m going to let the people of New York decide that race,” Sherrill stated.
Noting that New Jersey voters “are constantly talking to me about affordability,” a key tenet of Mamdani’s campaign platform, Sherrill again demurred on whether she backed his candidacy, declaring, “Again, I’m focused on the New Jersey race, and that’s a New York race. I’m not registered to vote there. So I’m focused here.”
Mamdani has nabbed some very high-profile endorsements, including from the Democratic National Committee itself.
Also voicing support for his candidacy have been liberal heavy-hitters such as New York Attorney General Letitia James, Democrat Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Jerrold Nadler, New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, and Sen. Bernie Sanders.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, however, seemed to resist the idea of throwing her support toward Mamdani most of the summer, only recently adding her name to the candidate’s list of prominent supporters.
Notably absent on Mamdani’s current list of endorsements are the names of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
Republican efforts to tie Mamani’s rise -- and the socialist policies for which he advocates -- to the future of the national Democratic Party, have been viewed as part of an effective messaging campaign that could harm liberals’ prospects in the 2026 midterm elections and beyond, potentially explaining the reluctance of folks like Sherrill to endorse.
Conventional wisdom during the current cycle has been that unless a few members of the crowded mayoral field were to exit the race, Mamdani stood a strong likelihood of victory.
The recent departure of Mayor Eric Adams from his re-election has -- at least temporarily -- boosted former Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s fundraising coffers and his hopes of an upset, but whether that will be enough to close what remains a significant gap in voter support, only time will tell.
