Activist David Hogg touted New York state Assembly member Zohran Mamdani, who is a candidate for New York City mayor, ahead of the city’s Democratic primary next week.
Hogg on Monday night posted a photo of himself with Mamdani on the social platform X, captioning it with the candidate’s name.
Mamdani responded to Hogg’s post shortly after with another photo of him and Hogg and captioned it with Hogg’s name.
Hogg announced last week that he would be forgoing reelection for Democratic National Committee (DNC) vice chair in the wake of DNC members voting to redo the vice chair election of Hogg and Pennsylvania state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta.
“I came into this role to play a positive role in creating the change our party needs. It is clear that there is a fundamental disagreement about the role of a Vice Chair — and it’s okay to have disagreements. What isn’t okay is allowing this to remain our focus when there is so much more we need to be focused on,” Hogg said in a statement at the time.
Hogg’s decision as a sitting DNC officer to primary incumbents sparked controversy amid a larger conversation around age and the party.
Mamdani, a progressive, has been endorsed by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.). Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ocasio-Cortez’s recent partner in the “Fighting Oligarchy” tour across the U.S., has also backed Mamdani.
“At this dangerous moment in history, status quo politics isn’t good enough. We need new leadership that is prepared to stand up to powerful corporate interests & fight for the working class. @ZohranKMamdani is providing that vision. He is the best choice for NYC mayor,” Sanders said Tuesday morning in a post on X.
The New York Times’s editorial board recently offered its opinion on the mayoral race, saying Mamdani doesn’t deserve a spot on the ballot.
“Mr. Mamdani, a charismatic 33-year-old, is running a joyful campaign full of viral videos in which he talks with voters. He offers the kind of fresh political style for which many people are hungry during the angry era of President Trump,” the board said on Monday.
“Unfortunately, Mr. Mamdani is running on an agenda uniquely unsuited to the city’s challenges.”
