Bernie Sanders endorses Zohran Mamdani for NYC mayor
NEW YORK (WABC) -- Sen. Bernie Sanders endorsed Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, securing him the support of another of the country's leading progressives, one week ahead of the New York City mayoral primary election.
In a statement made Tuesday morning Sanders says, "We need a new politics and new leadership which is prepared to stand up to powerful corporate interests and fight for the working class.
"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 childcare and a minimum wage increase. He will pay for this agenda by asking corporations and the richest 1% of New Yorkers to pay their fair share in taxes.
"Unlike the corporate Democratic establishment, Zohran is funding his campaign largely through small-dollar donations, including more than 27,000 individual contributions.
"At this pivotal and dangerous moment in American history, status quo politics is not good enough. We need the kind of visionary leadership that Zohran is providing in this campaign. In my view, Zohran Mamdani is the best choice for mayor of New York City."
This comes a day after Mamdani and Michael Blake cross-endorsed each other.
The endorsement carries the same type of high profile backing the Democratic mayoral candidate received from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez earlier this month.
The two politicians travel the country together, and are now joining forces in Mamdani's race against Andrew Cuomo.
AOC rallied with Mamdani last Saturday, it is unclear if Sanders will join them before Election Day.
Mamdani announced his first cross-endorsement, with Brad Lander, on Friday.
There could be additional cross endorsements, as Mamdani and other candidates strategize how to defeat front runner Andrew Cuomo in ranked choice voting's later rounds.
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