Former Vice President Kamala Harris offered Zohran Mamdani a lukewarm endorsement during an interview with MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow on Monday.
“Look, as far as I’m concerned, he’s the Democratic nominee and he should be supported,” Harris said when asked to weigh in on Mamdani’s success in the New York City Mayoral primary and the party establishment’s reluctance to back him.
High-profile Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (N.Y.), have been scrutinized for failing to throw their support behind Mamdani even though he won a decisive victory in the primary earlier this year.
Both have declined to share their reasoning in recent press statements, while noting that they’re still considering the decision.
Their hesitation comes as former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has refused to drop out of the race and as establishment Democrats have grappled with Mamdani’s progressive policies and identity as a democratic socialist.
