BUMBLING BERNIE: Sanders Makes Unprecedented Endorsement in NYC Mayoral Primary, Backs Anti-Israel Candidate

Senator Bernie Sanders took the unusual step Tuesday of stepping into New York City’s mayoral race, publicly backing Zohran Mamdani, a self-described socialist candidate aiming to lead the nation’s largest city.

This marks the first time Sanders has inserted himself into a Democratic mayoral primary in New York City. The Vermont senator issued a call for sweeping change just days ahead of the June 24 vote.

“At this pivotal and dangerous moment in American history, status quo politics is not good enough,” Sanders (I-Vt.) said in a statement.

He went on to tout Mamdani as a bold alternative to establishment candidates, saying, “We need new leadership that is prepared to stand up to powerful corporate interests and fight for the working class. Zohran Mamdani is providing that vision. He is the best choice for NYC mayor.”

Mamdani, a 33-year-old state assemblyman from Queens, embraced the endorsement enthusiastically, praising Sanders as a lifelong inspiration.

“Sanders was the ‘single most influential political figure in my life,’” Mamdani declared.

“As Mayor, I will strive to live up to his example by fighting for the working class every day and hopefully make Brooklyn’s own proud,” Mamdani posted on X.

Sanders’ nod follows an earlier endorsement from another high-profile progressive, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), who also threw her weight behind Mamdani’s campaign.

With both Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez now behind him, Mamdani could gain ground against the race’s current front-runner, former Governor Andrew Cuomo.

Mamdani’s campaign has been powered by an aggressive grassroots operation, with much of his base made up of younger, far-left white voters drawn to his unabashedly socialist message.

Sanders stayed out of New York’s 2021 mayoral contest, and in 2017, he only endorsed then-Mayor Bill de Blasio’s re-election bid a mere week before voting.

Meanwhile, Mamdani has faced pushback from the establishment. Just this week, the New York Times’ editorial board urged voters to reject Mamdani at the polls. “He seems to lack the political savvy and instinct for compromise that has made Senator Bernie Sanders, his fellow democratic socialist, an effective legislator,” the Times wrote.

{Matzav.com}