Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders (c.) endorsed Queens Meeting Member Zohran Mamdani (l.) for mayor and Metropolis Council Member Justin Brannan for comptroller.
Photographs through Reuters, Lloyd Mitchell and NYC Council Media Unit
Progressive stalwart US Sen. Bernie Sanders is throwing his appreciable weight behind mayoral hopeful Zohran Mamdani and comptroller candidate Justin Brannan per week forward of the June 24 Democratic main.
Mamdani, a Democratic socialist Queens Meeting member who’s polling in second place, has been surging within the closing weeks of the Democratic contest, posing an more and more critical problem to the frontrunner, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who’s trying a political comeback after resigning in 2021 underneath a tide of scandal.
Sanders’ stamp of approval for Mamdani’s marketing campaign comes shortly after the Queens lawmaker was endorsed by US Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-Bronx/Queens), one other progressive powerhouse. Sanders, a Vermont unbiased who grew up in Brooklyn, and Ocasio-Cortez have been touring the nation on their “Fighting Oligarchy Tour,” protesting President Trump’s insurance policies.
Sanders, in a press release, framed the mayoral main as part of a broader “fundamental choice” between “corporate-dominated politics” and constructing a “grassroots movement” that can combat “oligarchy, authoritarianism and kleptocracy.” He mentioned Mamdani is the candidate of the working class, whereas Cuomo is the one backed by moneyed company pursuits, referring to a checklist of deep-pocketed donors who’ve given to Cuomo’s marketing campaign and a brilliant PAC supporting it.
“Zohran Mamdani is running an inspirational grassroots campaign, centered on the construction of 200,000 new affordable housing units, a rent freeze, free public buses, cutting fines and fees for small businesses, investing in citywide mental health services, city-owned grocery stores, universal free child care and a minimum wage increase,” Sanders mentioned, naming a number of key elements of Mamdani’s marketing campaign platform.
Cuomo, in the meantime, has typically countered criticisms that he’s the candidate of the rich by pointing to his huge help from the town’s highly effective labor unions, together with 32BJ SEIU and 1199SEIU, which help tens of hundreds of working-class New Yorkers.
Sanders additionally praised Mamdani for pledging to fund his agenda by elevating taxes on the wealthiest New Yorkers and for bolstering his marketing campaign principally via small-dollar donations.
“At this pivotal and dangerous moment in American history, status quo politics is not good enough,” Sanders mentioned. “We need the kind of visionary leadership that Zohran is providing in this campaign.”
Mamdani, in his personal assertion, referred to as Sanders the “single most influential political figure in my life.”
“As mayor, I will strive each and every day to live up to Senator Sanders’ example, making New York affordable and hopefully making Brooklyn’s own proud,” he mentioned.
The late-in-the-game backing from Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez has solidified Mamdani’s standing because the progressive selection within the race and reveals that the competition is capturing nationwide consideration. Sanders’ help additionally comes a day after the New York Occasions Editorial Board urged New Yorkers to not vote for Mamdani attributable to his expertise being “too thin.”
On the subject of Brannan, Sanders sang an identical tune — lauding the southern Brooklyn Metropolis Council member as somebody who will use the comptroller’s workplace to combat for the working class. Brannan is at the moment behind within the polls in opposition to his principal rival, Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, however many citizens haven’t selected any candidate.
Sanders, in a press release, pointed to Brannan’s file of combating Mayor Adams’ wide-ranging funds cuts throughout his time because the council’s Finance chair over the previous three-plus years.
“From corrupt politicians to greedy corporations, Justin Brannan is not afraid to take on the powerful and fight for the working class,” Sanders mentioned. “As Comptroller, Justin will crack down on corruption and invest in early childhood education, universal child care, parks, libraries, and public schools.”
