Democratic Socialist, staunch Israel critic Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani eying run for NYC mayor
Democratic Socialist Queens Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani — a staunch critic of Israel — is eyeing a run for mayor, sources said Tuesday.
The state legislator — first elected in 2020 to represent Astoria — has spoken to people involved in the Democratic Party as well as within the Democratic Socialists of America, one source briefed said.
“One hundred percent he’s telling people he’s considering running,” the source told The Post Tuesday night.
His potential candidacy was first reported by City & State.
Even Democratic Party insiders who don’t agree with Mamdani said he’s intelligent and hardworking, saying he would speak for the growing pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel faction of the Democratic party.
But Mamdani’s participation in anti-Israel rallies just days after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, sneak attack on Israel, slaughtering 1,200 people and taking hostages into Gaza will likely turn off many pro-Israel voters.
He also also alienated pro-Israel Democrats last year when he introduced the “Not on Our Dime!: Ending New York Funding of Israeli Settler Violence Act” — legislation aimed at barring New York-based charitable groups from engaging in “unauthorized support of Israeli settlement activity.”
Opposition blocked passage of the bill.
Mamdani represents a part of Western Queens that is the DSA’s power base in New York. Fellow democratic socialists — Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Councilwoman Tiffany Caban — also represent the Astoria area.
The campaign of Mayor Eric Adams, who has slammed the DSA as a negative force, had no immediate comment.
Other candidates who’ve thrown their hats into the ring in the Democratic primary to challenge Adams for mayor next year — or are considering doing so — include former city Comptroller Scott Stringer, state Sen. Zellnor Myrie and current Comptroller Brad Lander.
Mamdani declined requests for comment.
Born in Kampala, Uganda, he moved to New York City with his family when he was 7. He attended public schools, including the Bronx High School of Science and graduated from Bowdoin College and started a Students for Justice in Palestine chapter there.
He became a naturalized US citizen in 2018.
“Zohran is proud to be the first South Asian man to serve in the NYS Assembly as well as the first Ugandan and only the third Muslim to ever be a member of the body. For too long, communities such as these have been left out of our state’s politics and priorities,” according to his bio.
