Congressmember Adriano Espaillat, a major power broker in the city’s Hispanic community, endorsed fellow New York City Democrat Zohran Mamdani for mayor Thursday, boosting his campaign ahead of a contentious November election.
Espaillat represents much of northern Manhattan, including Harlem and Washington Heights, and the northwest Bronx. His backing is considered crucial to winning over Latino voters, although Mamdani handily won many of them on his own in last month’s Democratic primary.
“Zohran Mamdani brings clarity, discipline and a deep commitment to tackling the stubborn issues facing New York City,” Espaillat said in a statement. “He understands our city doesn't work if everyday New Yorkers — the very people that keep it moving forward — can’t afford to live here.”
Mamdani’s focus on cost-of-living issues propelled the 33-year-old state assemblymember from Queens to a resounding victory in the often-decisive Democratic primary for mayor. He garnered votes across the city and beat runner-up Andrew Cuomo by 12 points in the ranked-choice contest. Now, he faces Mayor Eric Adams as well as Cuomo — who both have ballot lines as independents — along with independent Jim Walden and Republican Curtis Sliwa in the general election.
Cuomo has not said whether he will actively campaign after losing by such a large margin to Mamdani. Espaillat had endorsed the ex-governor in the primary, and his pivot comes as more of Cuomo’s erstwhile allies — including major labor unions and other members of New York’s Democratic establishment — are getting behind the democratic socialist nominee.
Espaillat on Thursday praised Mamdani for his proposals to tackle the city’s housing crisis and provide assistance to students and retired New Yorkers. The congressmember said Mamdani, who campaigned with the backing of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, “has a strong vision of how to make New York serve those working to realize the American dream.”
In his own statement, Mamdani lauded Espaillat, a former undocumented immigrant from the Dominican Republic, for being “on the front lines of the fight against Donald Trump’s authoritarian administration.”
“We both recognize the only way we can protect our city is by standing firm in our values and standing up for the working-class and immigrant communities who define us,” Mamdani said.
Espaillat and Mamdani were expected to appear together at noon Thursday at a press conference in Washington Heights.
