Welp, this is awkward.
Five Democrats running in a suburban congressional primary refused to say if they’d accept Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s endorsement – with one candidate covering her face when asked about a potential nod.
Video shows the five hopefuls, who are looking to take on two-term Republican Rep. Mike Lawler for a Hudson Valley seat in the House of Representatives, confronted about whether they’d want the endorsement of the democratic socialist mayor of the Big Apple.
The crew of Dems were approached by a Republican tracker outside a Jan. 13 forum hosted by the left-wing activist group Indivisible.
“I haven’t talked to [Mamdani,” candidate John Cappello said, according to the video. “I don’t anticipate that he’s going to give me a call.
Fellow Democrats Peter Chatzky, John Sullivan and Mike Sacks all dodged the question — and candidate Effie Phillips-Staley hid her face with both hands when asked about Mamdani.
GOP strategists are trying to turn Mamdani into a campaign issue in state races outside of the five boroughs, with the idea that his left-wing agenda and views will turn off suburban and upstate voters this fall.
“Mamdani will be a liability for Democrats in November. He will be in a lot of Republican ads and mailers,” Republican pollster John McLaughlin said. “I’m looking forward to it.”
Last fall, the Nassau County GOP on Long Island spent $2 million on mail and ads that featured Mamdani with Democratic candidates. Republicans romped in those local races.
Republican National Committee chairman Joe Gruters said Mamdani and fellow Democratic Socialists of America member Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are the “new face” of the Democratic Party and the further they push Dems left in primaries helps Republicans in the general election.
“That helps all of our candidates on the Republican side because we are the party of reasonableness and common sense. I think that the other side has lost touch on reality,” he said on 77 WABC radio’s “The Cats Roundtable” Sunday.
Still, some independent analysts doubt that the Republicans will be able to maintain control of the House in the midterm elections this fall.
The non-partisan Cook Political Report moved 18 House races nationwide more toward Democrats, including a few races in New York.
Cook changed the rating last week for Lawler’s seat from “lean Republican” to “tossup.” New York’s 17th Congressional District includes suburbs north of the city, with a northern swath of Westchester County as well as Rockland County and parts of Putnam and Dutchess counties.
