Former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio officially endorsed far-left New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani on Tuesday, saying that Mamdani's socialist agenda "can be done."
Writing an opinion article in the New York Daily News on Tuesday, de Blasio began by listing the struggles of "working class" New Yorkers, noting that the Big Apple has become a place where few families can afford to live. De Blasio noted Mamdani's agenda of "a rent freeze for more than 2 million tenants, universal childcare for all kids 6 weeks to 5-year-olds, faster and free buses."
Mamdani, a 33-year-old Muslim born in Uganda, defeated the establishment candidate Andrew Cuomo in the spring primary in what some observers saw as a battle for the soul of the modern Democratic Party. A self-labeled "democratic socialist," Mamdani will now face two independent candidates — Cuomo and current Mayor Eric Adams — as well as Republican Curtis Sliwa in the general election in November.
"Though many New Yorkers agree with him — many others are skeptical. Still others have lost faith in the city government's ability to not only talk, but deliver. They want to know one fundamental truth: Can it be done?" de Blasio asked. He added, "I can say definitely — and I know better than anyone — that the answer is yes."
De Blasio noted that he and Mamdani share a similar vision for how to make New York City function and blamed "an unwillingness to cede power and opportunity to working people" as the primary reason he never achieved all of his goals during his time in office. De Blasio was mayor during the COVID-19 pandemic, a period that saw a surge in gun violence and thousands of residents fleeing to other states. Toward the end of his term, the former mayor had a 26% approval rating among Democrats, according to a New York Post survey at the time.
"We don't just need Zohran Mamdani to be our mayor because he has the right ideas, or because they can be achieved. We need him because in his heart and in his bones he cannot accept a city that prices out the people who built it and keep it running," de Blasio concluded.
James Morley III ✉
James Morley III is a writer with more than two decades of experience in entertainment, travel, technology, and science and nature.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.