Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdanin needs to connect with a wider audience in order to secure his crucial support in the general election in November, according to Rep. Hakeem Jeffries on Friday.
The Democratic House minority leader commended Mamdani for defeating former Governor Andrew Cuomo in the primary, claiming that by emphasizing the important issue of affordability, he out-organized his rivals.
The progressive Queens assemblyman, however, still has to elaborate on some of his ideas, according to Jeffries, who represents central Brooklyn.
According to Jeffries, he will need to prove to a wider audience that his ideas can be implemented, particularly in many of the Brooklyn areas I serve. He’s talking about that with me and other community leaders.
Jeffries declined to support Mamdani on the matter of his rent-stabilized apartment, which Cuomo has attempted to use politically.
Jeffries told CNBC host Andrew Ross Sorkin that the Mamdani campaign will need to address the serious problem that has been brought up.
When the anchor wrongly stated that Mamdani lived in a rent-controlled apartment on multiple occasions, Jeffries neglected to correct Sorkin.
Any politician in New York should be aware that rent stabilization and rent control are two completely different schemes.
Rent control, which usually comes with cheap basement rentals and only applies to renters who have occupied the same unit since 1971, is in effect for just over 20,000 apartments. They make up fewer than 1 percent of residences in NYC.
In contrast, rent stabilization covers roughly one million units across the five boroughs. The policy primarily prohibits landlords from raising rents by more than a specific amount each time the lease is renewed, and rentals are often somewhat lower than market rates.
Rent stabilized apartments have no income restrictions, so Mamdani and his wife aren’t breaking any laws by residing in a $2,300-per-month Astoria pad. As a state assemblyman, he earns $143,000 annually.
During the mayoral primary, Jeffries did not endorse.
He described his face-to-face meeting with Mamdani as “constructive and candid” last month, and the two agreed to follow up with more meetings with other members of Congress and community leaders, particularly in working-class and low-income Brooklyn communities.
Jeffries stated that the arrangements for the meeting are still being finalized.
Mamdani will compete in the main election against Republican Curtis Sliwa, Cuomo, and incumbent Eric Adams, who are all running as independents.
Since upsetting Cuomo, he has garnered multiple endorsements from prominent local Democratic leaders, positioning himself as the party’s standard-bearer.
As part of his Five Boroughs Against Trump tour, Mamdani has been touring the city all week.
He concluded the effort earlier Friday by making a stop in Richmond Hill, Queens, where he gained the support of Donovan Richards, the president of Queens Borough, who remained impartial during the primary contest.
However, Jeffries has thus far refused to support him, as have the state’s two other leading Democrats, Senator Chuck Schumer and Governor Hochul.
