“Many Democratic members of the Senate and the House representing New York have stayed on the sidelines,” Van Hollen said.
The independent Vermont senator struggled for decades to earn the support and respect of Democratic leaders, even as his popularity exploded and he emerged as a leading presidential candidate.
“I find it hard to understand how the major Democratic leaders in New York State are not supporting the Democratic candidate,” Sanders said last week.
“It’s odd to me that if a candidate were to win a Democratic primary that the Democratic party wouldn’t take notes and understand why that person won.
Virginia Democratic governor candidate Abigail Spanberger’s team offered almost identical language when asked if she would endorse Mamdani, saying, “Abigail is laser-focused on Virginia.” In New York, Mamdani faces former Democratic Gov.
NEW YORK (AP) — Sen. Speaking to Iowa Democrats over the weekend, Chris Van Hollen called his party’s leadership “spineless” for not supporting Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic candidate for mayor of New York City.
Van Hollen claimed that a large number of New York-based Democratic senators and members of the House have remained silent. People are fed up with politics that lacks guts like that. Now more than ever, they must support him. “.”.
It was just another insult in the party’s continuing feud over Mamdani’s campaign. While progressives support Mamdani, a 33-year-old self-described democratic socialist, Democratic leaders in Washington and moderate Democrats running this fall are actively separating themselves from him. They point out that Mamdani’s youthful charm and economic populism have garnered a great deal of support from grassroots activists outside of New York.
As this is going on, Republicans—including President Donald Trump—are taking pleasure in it and occasionally adding to it by associating Mamdani and his extreme left policies with the Democratic brand. Both Virginia and New Jersey, the only states with gubernatorial elections this year, have demonstrated this, and Republican leaders have hinted that the tactic will be used well into the crucial midterm elections the following year.
Democratic New York Gov. During her Sunday endorsement of Mamdani, Kathy Hochul stated in an opinion piece in the New York Times that “New York needs leaders who will put aside differences, stand up, and fight back against Mr. Trump.”. “.”.
In a social media response on Monday, Trump falsely labeled Mamdani a communist and hinted that if Mamdani wins, the city might lose federal funding.
Trump penned, “This is a very bad development for New York City and rather shocking.”. Washington will be closely monitoring this situation. There is no justification for sending good money after bad.
Capitol Hill Democratic leaders have not given their support.
Reporters have repeatedly asked House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to endorse Mamdani, but Jeffries has said, “I choose to make endorsements when I choose to make endorsements.”. Chuck Schumer, the Senate Minority Leader, claimed to have met with Mamdani last week but to have not given him his support. They both live in New York.
In the past, Schumer and Mamdani collaborated on projects like debt relief for cab drivers and have praised one another. Schumer praised Mamdani on social media for running a campaign that resonated with New Yorkers after he won the Democratic primary.
The leaders are under political pressure to win not only in Democratic hotspots like New York but also in swing states or Republican-leaning locations, like Senate races in North Carolina and Ohio next year. This lack of endorsement highlights the pressure.
Mamdani has publicly criticized Israel. There should be “a state with equal rights” for Palestine, he declared, calling its military campaign in Gaza a “genocide.”. Additionally, he has advocated for higher taxes on the wealthy in order to fund programs like free buses that would make life more affordable for regular New Yorkers.
Additionally, the division has grown even more within the New York delegation. With Hochul’s approval, Rep. Because he disagrees “with his proposed solutions,” Tom Suozzi declared on Monday that he would not be supporting Mamdani. However, swing-district Rep. Pat Ryan said, “I know whose side I’m on,” in support of Mamdani on Tuesday. I’m with the populace. I am with Zohran. “.”.
Many progressives find Sen-like resonance in the Democratic establishment’s Mamdani snub. The rise to power of Bernie Sanders. Even though his popularity skyrocketed and he became a front-runner for president, the independent senator from Vermont fought for decades to gain the respect and support of Democratic leaders.
Perhaps for this reason, Sanders has been among Mamdani’s most adamant supporters.
Sanders stated last week, “It is difficult for me to comprehend why the Democratic candidate is not receiving the support of the major Democratic leaders in New York State.”. Thus, we are facing yet another challenge: the Democratic Party’s future. “”.
Sensing far higher stakes than the mayoral race in New York City, progressive groups across the country have unified behind Mamdani.
It is impossible to exaggerate the ire of grassroots voters. “This is incredible,” stated Joseph Geevarghese, executive director of Our Revolution, an activist organization that emerged from the Sanders movement.
Before next year’s midterm elections, the controversy has spread to contested primaries. Among them is a Senate race in Michigan between establishment contenders like Rep. Sen. Haley Stevens and S. Mallory McMorrow and Abdul El-Sayed, a more outsider in politics.
“I think it’s strange that the Democratic party wouldn’t take notes and figure out why a candidate won a Democratic primary. and then adjust appropriately,” El-Sayed stated.
Parties exist to represent the will of the people, and in my opinion, when there is a widening gap between the party’s leadership and what the people desire, there is only one possible outcome: either the parties lose elections, or the party changes. “”.
How are the impending elections going?
There is a vigorous effort by Republicans to associate Democratic candidates with Mamdani.
Republican candidate for governor of New Jersey Jack Ciattarelli called Mamdani a sign that the “modern Democratic Party has lost its mind.”. “”.
A digital advertisement featuring a video from a Democratic representative was also created by the Republican campaign. In her interview, Mikie Sherrill was asked if she would support Mamdani’s campaign for the general election. Assuming he was the nominee, she remarked, “I suppose I will. “.”.
The video was last week’s latest social media post from Ciattarelli during the campaign.
When questioned about Mamdani, Sherrill has become disengaged. She later stated that she was not entering the race and was letting the people of New York City make the final decision, despite her earlier declaration that she would support the eventual Democratic nominee in the mayoral race.
“Mikie is leaving the NYC mayoral race to the people of New York, as she has stated throughout the campaign,” Sherrill campaign spokesperson Carly Jones told The Associated Press.
When asked whether Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic candidate for governor of Virginia, would support Mamdani, her team used nearly the same words: “Abigail is laser-focused on Virginia.”. “”.
Mamdani will take on the former Democratic Governor of New York. Both incumbent Mayor Eric Adams and Andrew Cuomo are running as independents.
Following Hochul’s endorsement, Mamdani expressed gratitude for Hochul’s assistance in bringing our party together. “”.
Earlier, he had a sharper message for longtime Democratic leaders like Cuomo, who has been a political force in New York for many years.
According to a recent podcast, Mamdani stated, “What Andrew Cuomo doesn’t seem to understand is that he and Donald Trump are two sides of the same coin that New Yorkers want to throw away into the dustbin of history.”. We desire a different kind of politics. “”.
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