Sept. 2 (UPI) -- New York City's ex-Mayor Bill de Blasio on Tuesday endorsed state Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani in the hotly contested race to be the 111th mayor of America's biggest city.
De Blasio officially swung his public support behind the Democratic socialist and mayoral nominee from Queens in a media blitz with an op-ed and television appearance.
He called Mamdani a "particularly perceptive, intelligent" and an "old soul" whose campaign is focused on "kitchen-table issues" affecting everyday New Yorkers, and the former mayor encouraged Democrats to follow Mamdani's lead in order to win elections.
The relatively young state legislator, 33, won a stunning Democratic primary victory against former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and will be on the November ballot with incumbent Mayor Eric Adams -- running as in Independent -- and Republican nominee Curtis Silwa.
"Rarely have I met someone in public life who listens so well, and I think that's crucial," de Blasio, 64, told MSNBC's Joe Scarborough on his Tuesday morning talk show.
