Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, the House Democratic Minority leader from Brooklyn, is currently in talks to potentially endorse progressive Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani for mayor, according to sources familiar with the matter.
“Both Hakeem and I have had discussions with Mamdani and [adviser] Patrick Gaspard about a potential endorsement,” Rev. Al Sharpton informed The Post.
Gaspard, the former ambassador to South Africa and political director for ex-President Barack Obama, has become a key adviser to Mamdani, especially with regards to engaging key constituencies and business leaders in the city, particularly in the black community.
During an appearance on Al Sharpton’s MSNBC PoliticsNation show on Saturday night, Jeffries hinted at a potential endorsement for Mamdani when discussing the mayor’s race.
“What I can say is, as you mentioned, Gov. Hochul endorsed last Sunday. Speaker Carl Heastie endorsed [Mamdani] on Wednesday,” Jeffries commented.
“He received a significant endorsement today from a close friend of mine, the leader of the Congressional Black Caucus, Congresswoman [Yvette] Clarke. I will have more to say about the Mayor’s race in the near future,” Jeffries added.
