Jun. 17, 2025 By Ethan Stark-Miller
Progressive stalwart US Sen. Bernie Sanders is throwing his considerable weight behind mayoral hopeful Zohran Mamdani and comptroller candidate Justin Brannan a week ahead of the June 24 Democratic primary.
Mamdani, a Democratic socialist Queens Assembly member who is polling in second place, has been surging in the final weeks of the Democratic contest, posing an increasingly serious challenge to the frontrunner, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who is attempting a political comeback after resigning in 2021 under a tide of scandal.
Sanders’ stamp of approval for Mamdani’s campaign comes shortly after the Queens lawmaker was endorsed by US Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-Bronx/Queens), another progressive powerhouse. Sanders, a Vermont independent who grew up in Brooklyn, and Ocasio-Cortez have been traveling the country on their “Fighting Oligarchy Tour,” protesting President Trump’s policies.