Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has endorsed insurgent democratic socialist candidate Zohran Mamdani in New York City’s closely watched mayoral race.
In the heavily Democratic city, all eyes have been on the looming party primary for the mayoral candidate on 24 June, which has largely settled into a two-way fight between the outsider Mamdani and former New York governor Andrew Cuomo.
Cuomo – whose tenure as governor was marred by accusations of sexual harassment – dominated early polling but Mamdani, a 33-year-old city assemblyman, has emerged as a serious rival, surging on the back of a leftist set of policy positions.
Related: New York City Democratic mayoral primary debate: five key takeaways
“Assembly member Mamdani has demonstrated a real ability on the ground to put together a coalition of working-class New Yorkers that is strongest to lead the pack,” Ocasio-Cortez told the New York Times in an interview. “In the final stretch of the race, we need to get very real about that.”
Ocasio-Cortez, 35, is one of the most prominent young and leftwing voices in Democratic politics, currently taking a prominent role – along with veteran senator Bernie Sanders – in opposing the Trump administration and criticizing Democratic party elites for not doing enough to fight the White House.
Her endorsement in the New York mayor’s race, in which incumbent Eric Adams has been dogged by corruption allegations and his close relationship with Donald Trump, had been eagerly anticipated.
“As someone who got elected when I was 28 years old, I know very intimately what it means to be trusted with an enormous job of immense responsibility at a very young age,” she said of Mamdani.
Mamdani responded to the news by telling the Times that Ocasio-Cortez was a “once-in-a-generation leader” and said: “In 2018, AOC shocked the world and changed our politics for the better with her historic victory. On June 24, we will do the same.”
On Wednesday night, Mamdani, who has seen a recent surge in popularity and is closing on Cuomo, participated in a debate with the former governor and other candidates before the endorsement.
He accused the centrist Cuomo of being beholden to powerful and wealthy donors and their corporate interests.
“The difference between myself and Andrew Cuomo is that my campaign is not funded by the very billionaires who put Donald Trump in DC,” Mamdani said.
Cuomo, meanwhile, attacked Mamdani as being too young and inexperienced for the tasking of running a sprawling metropolis of the size of New York.
“He’s been in government 27 minutes,” Cuomo jabbed.
