The deep ideological fractures within the Democratic Party reportedly surfaced again this week, as New York State Democratic Party Chair Jay Jacobs announced he would not endorse Zohran Mamdani, the party’s new far-left nominee in the New York City mayoral race.
“Mr. Mamdani and I are in agreement that America’s greatest problem is the continued growth of income disparity in our nation,” Jacobs said in a statement. “On how to address it — we fundamentally disagree.”
Jacobs went further, rejecting the Democratic Socialists of America, of which Mamdani is a member, as a group that does not represent “the principles, values or policies of the Democratic Party.” While he dismissed as “fear mongering” some of the alarm surrounding Mamdani’s campaign, Jacobs underscored his disagreement with the candidate’s positions on Israel.
Mamdani has courted controversy with his repeated criticism of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. In remarks to The New York Times last week, he went so far as to say he would direct the New York Police Department to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if the foreign leader set foot in the city.
Jacobs’s refusal to support Mamdani is a striking contrast with Gov. Kathy Hochul, who endorsed him on Sunday despite noting policy differences. Writing in a New York Times op-ed, Hochul praised Mamdani’s “can-do spirit” and his focus on making New York City more affordable. “I didn’t leave my conversations with Mr. Mamdani aligned with him on every issue,” Hochul wrote. “But I am confident that he has the courage, urgency and optimism New York City needs to lead it through the challenges of this moment.”
Still, the governor’s backing stands apart from the silence of the two highest-ranking Democrats in Congress, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Both men have met with Mamdani since his upset primary victory but have withheld their endorsements.
Mamdani, 33, stunned the political establishment earlier this summer when he won the Democratic mayoral primary, defeating several candidates, including former Gov. Andrew Cuomo. He has centered his campaign on the rising cost of living, a message that has resonated with many voters since his campaign launch in October 2024.
Not all Democrats welcomed Jacobs’s refusal to back the nominee. State Senate Deputy Leader Mike Gianaris blasted the party chair on the social platform X, calling his decision “disgraceful.” Gianaris accused Jacobs of shirking his responsibility as party leader, writing, “The Chair of the Democratic Party refusing to support the candidate clearly selected by the voters of the Democratic Party. If he won’t perform that most basic responsibility of a party leader, what exactly is he doing over there?”
Polls suggest Mamdani remains the frontrunner in the general election. A survey released last week by Emerson College Polling/PIX11/The Hill found him leading the field with 43 percent support. Cuomo trailed at 28 percent, while Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa drew 10 percent and incumbent Mayor Eric Adams just 7 percent.
The election, set for November 4, will test whether New Yorkers embrace Mamdani’s brand of extreme Socialism — and whether a fractured Democratic establishment can rally behind a candidate whose positions on foreign policy, policing, and economics have already split the party.
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