Michael LaRosa, onetime special assistant to former President Joe Biden and spokesman for former first lady Jill Biden, told Newsmax on Monday that it would be a disaster for the Democratic Party if Zohran Mamdani wins the New York mayoral race.
Mamdani, a 34-year-old state assemblyman who identifies as a democratic socialist, pulled off a shock victory over former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary and has surged as Election Day approaches Nov. 4. A Quinnipiac University poll earlier this month showed him leading with roughly 46% support compared with 33% for Cuomo, running as an independent, and 15% for Republican Curtis Sliwa.
"God help the Democratic Party if he wins," LaRosa told "The Record With Greta Van Susteren." "He's not my cup of tea. I wouldn't vote for him, and I wouldn't encourage anybody to vote for him."
LaRosa said if Mamdani wins, Republicans would be wise to use him as the face of the Democratic Party for the 2026 midterm elections.
"If the Republicans are good, if they are good at what they do, they will be tying Mamdani to every front-line congressional district, every marginal race in 2026," he said. "They will make us own him in places like Green Bay and Allentown and Scranton, in the suburbs of Denver. … Those congressional districts that are very purple, that's where, if they were smart, they will be tying Democrats to him directly."
Although top Democrats like Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., have endorsed Mamdani, not all of the party's leaders have rallied behind him.
"I thought the biggest tell was last week … when [former] President [Barack] Obama cut two ads for the Democrat running for governor of New Jersey [Mikie Sherrill] and the Democrat running for governor of Virginia [Abigail Spanberger] but didn't cut one for him and didn't endorse him," LaRosa said. "And I think that tells you everything you need to know."
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Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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