Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez endorses Zohran Mamdani in NYC mayoral race after chaotic debate

Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a key progressive member of the House whose district covers swaths of the Bronx and Queens, endorsed New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani on Thursday for the city's upcoming Democratic mayoral primary -- one day after the candidate clashed with front-runner former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and other candidates on the debate stage.

"Assemblymember 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. In the final stretch of the race, we need to get very real about that," Ocasio-Cortez told the New York Times in an interview published on Thursday.

"In 2018, A.O.C. shocked the world and changed our politics for the better with her historic victory. On June 24, we will do the same," Mamdani told the Times in a statement.

Mamdani, a state assemblymember and a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, has been steadily inching upward in the polls and fundraising. He is running on a progressive platform that includes a rent freeze for rent-stabilized apartments, eliminating fares for New York City buses and opening city-owned grocery stores. Mamdani envisions the latter two being funded by higher taxes on businesses and wealthy individuals; some have cautioned that he would need support from state government for those taxes.

Her announcement came the day after a chaotic two-hour debate punctuated by candidates shouting over an increasingly exasperated slate of moderators.

Nine Democrats who wish to be New York City's next mayor sparred over how they'd interact with President Donald Trump, public safety, affordability and other topics.

Out of those who were onstage, Cuomo leads the pack in polling while Mamdani is slowly closing the gap in second place. The rest of the candidates have struggled to break through.

Each candidate was asked how they would work with -- or charge against -- Trump if elected mayor. Cuomo vowed that he is an adversary that Trump could not best.

"He can be beaten. But he has to know that he's up against an adversary who can actually beat him. I am the last person on this stage that Mr. Trump wants to see as mayor, and that is why I should be the first choice for the people of the city to have as mayor," Cuomo said.

Mamdani, answering the question, said, "I am Donald Trump's worst nightmare, as a progressive Muslim immigrant who actually fights for the things that I believe in, and the difference between myself and Andrew Cuomo is that my campaign is not funded by the very billionaires who put Donald Trump in D.C. ... I have to pick up the phone for the more than 20,000 New Yorkers who contributed an average donation of about $80 to break fundraising records and put our campaign in second place."

Cuomo did not directly respond to Mamdani's attack on the debate stage.

Some billionaires who have previously supported Trump, such as prominent hedge fund manager Bill Ackman and Home Depot founder Ken Langone, have donated to an independent group, the super PAC Fix the City, that supports Cuomo. Cuomo's campaign is not allowed to coordinate with the group. In response to reporting on Cuomo's wealthy supporters, Fix the City spokesperson Liz Benjamin told the New York Times that "donors have supported Fix the City because they know that Andrew Cuomo has the right experience and the right plans for New York City."

Multiple controversies surrounding Cuomo -- including accusations against him of sexual harassment, which he denies -- came up during the debate.

Former state assemblymember Michael Blake, while answering a question on public safety, brought up the sexual harassment allegations against Cuomo: "The people who don't feel safe are young women, mothers and grandmothers around Andrew Cuomo, that's the greatest threat to public safety in New York City."

Cuomo, later asked about the allegations -- and if he would do anything differently given investigations that alleged his leadership fostered a toxic work environment -- told the moderators, "Let's just make sure we have the facts. A report was done four years ago making certain allegations. I said at the time that it was political and it was false."

He added that five district attorneys found "nothing" and he was dropped from one case.

"I said at the time that if I offended anyone, it was unintentional, but I apologize, and I say that today."