This piece first ran as part of The Countdown, our daily newsletter rounding up all the developments in the New York City mayor’s race. Sign up here to get it in your inbox. There are 40 days to the election.
Kamala Harris became the most prominent Democrat to back Zohran Mamdani this week.
Mamdani confirmed to The New York Times that Harris called him yesterday. “I was excited the vice president reached out for a conversation where she reiterated her support for my candidacy, and I shared my appreciation,” he said. “We discussed the affordability agenda that I ran on and the importance of joy amidst the struggle of our politics.”
Though Mamdani has said that he voted for Harris on the Working Families Party ballot line in 2024, he did not endorse her during the election. In the primary, Mamdani supported the “Uncommitted” movement and its affiliates in calling on Democrats to withhold votes to protest the Biden administration’s support for Israel.
Harris’ call came two days after Harris gave a more tepid endorsement in an interview with MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow, her first major TV news appearance since losing the 2024 presidential election to President Trump. She was promoting her book, “107 Days,” about her short campaign after Joe Biden dropped out.
“I support the Democrat in the race, sure,” Harris said to Maddow, when pressed for an endorsement. She added that Mamdani “should be supported” by other Democrats as their nominee. But she also quickly changed the subject to other candidates running for mayor across the country.
By Wednesday night, Harris was praising Mamdani at an event in Manhattan. She told the crowd that she said to Mamdani during their phone call, “You are bringing people in and you are showing that there are voices that want to be heard, have felt left out and are now a part of what you are doing.”
New York City Mayor Eric Adams wore a jacket embroidered with Jewish stars to Rosh Hashanah services at the Sephardic Lebanese Congregation in Brooklyn, Sept. 23, 2025. (Courtesy Mayor’s Office)
