Fewer Candidates = More Pressure For Schumer, Jeffries In New York City’s Race For A New Mayor

NEW YORK — The race for New York City mayor is on hold for Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries as they confront the prospect of a government shutdown in Washington — but it can’t wait too long.

Mayor Eric Adams’ dramatic departure from the contest on Sunday winnows the contest down to two Democrats — Zohran Mamdani and Andrew Cuomo — with five weeks to go until Election Day.

Whether the Senate and House minority leaders endorse a candidate or stay neutral will have more impact now with Mamdani’s glide path to City Hall made rockier by the expectation that Cuomo, running as an independent, will absorb some of Adams’ support. And Mamdani’s allies, including progressive groups and labor unions, are turning up the pressure on party leaders in a race that’s set to tighten.

A spokesperson for Schumer declined to comment on the latest twist in the mayoral race, and New York’s senior senator has previously responded to questions about whether he’ll endorse Mamdani — the Democratic nominee — by delaying, saying the conversations will continue.

Jeffries has been less vague, but not by much. In a statement commending Adams’ work for the city after the scandal-scarred incumbent dropped out, Jeffries also punted.

“Over the next few days, my entire focus will be on addressing the Republican healthcare crisis and funding the government. I will publicly weigh in with respect to the remaining candidates in the Mayor’s race well before the start of early voting,” Jeffries said in a statement, giving himself an Oct. 25 deadline for his unspecified announcement.

The two highest-ranking Democrats in Washington — both New Yorkers — clearly aren’t in a rush to steer the mayoral race. And it’s even more obvious they have a lot on their plates as national party leaders. Schumer and Jeffries met Monday with President Donald Trump at the White House for late-stage negotiations as Democrats and Republicans finger-point with the clock ticking down to a potential government shutdown at 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday.

But who, when and whether they endorse in the mayor’s race amounts to a fraught political decision for both of them.

Come next year, Jeffries will attempt to reclaim a Democratic majority in the House. Part of accomplishing that goal will mean winning races in battleground districts, including on Long Island, where the democratic socialist Mamdani and his policies aren’t popular. Jeffries is also wary of socialists, as evidenced in a state Assembly race in Brooklyn last year where he backed the incumbent over her democratic socialist challenger.

Schumer, meanwhile, has worked with Mamdani in the past, including on securing debt relief for New York City taxicab drivers. But he’s the country’s highest-ranking Jewish official, a pro-Israel Democrat and has cited Mamdani’s hesitation to denounce the phrase “globalize the intifada” — viewed by many as a call to violence against Jews — as an area for concern.

Jeffries has said he’s still getting to know Mamdani, a relative newcomer who has scooped up progressive support from members of Congress but has been spurned by moderate Democrats. Mamdani’s coalition is broadening though with the recent endorsements of Gov. Kathy Hochul and battleground Rep. Pat Ryan. Jeffries and Mamdani have met twice in Brooklyn, and — like Schumer — the House minority leader has indicated there’s more talking to be done behind closed doors.

After Adams abandoned his bid for reelection Sunday — and with a surge in pro-Cuomo PAC spending expected — Mamdani’s backers are doubling down on Jeffries and Schumer to lead the party in coalescing behind the candidate that Democratic primary voters chose over Cuomo by more than 12 points in June. Mamdani has a wide polling lead over Cuomo in the general election and is poised to win, but the bigger his margin of victory, the bigger his mandate.

“The federal government is openly threatening to occupy New York City. But unity brings strength,” said Candis Tall, political director and executive vice president of 32BJ SEIU. “Now is a time to come together behind Zohran Mamdani, a man who has put affordability at the center of his platform.”

Progressives with the group Indivisible are taking a better-late-than-never approach.

“The best time to endorse would have been right after the primary. The second best time would have been after their several meetings or phone calls,” said Andrew O’Neill, national advocacy director at Indivisible. “Now, it’s just about time.”

Progressive elected officials who have been with Mamdani since the early days of his campaign similarly stressed that time is running out for Democratic leaders who’ve yet to show their hand.

“Now is the time for us to consolidate around the only candidate in this race who is going to turn the page on the broken, billionaire-backed politics that got us into the Eric Adams mess in the first place,” state Sen. Gustavo Rivera said in a statement.

Neither Schumer nor Jeffries endorsed in this year’s Democratic primary for mayor. Jeffries backed progressive Maya Wiley in the 2021 primary for mayor.

The considerations for Jeffries now are different because he’s tasked with winning the House majority for Democrats in next year’s midterms. With Republicans raring to make Mamdani and his progressive policies like freezing the rent and government-run groceries stores emblematic of the Democratic Party at large, moderate Democratic candidates could lose ground in swing districts. In New York, battleground Reps. Tom Suozzi and Laura Gillen have taken pains to distance themselves from Mamdani.

Democratic insiders agreed that Jeffries and Schumer are in a more vulnerable position now with the mayoral race down to Mamdani, Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa than before with Adams as a candidate.

“There’s no question the heat is on them to get involved,” said a New York Democratic party official granted anonymity to discuss a politically sensitive matter. “Their endorsement helps mainstream Mamdani. It helps normalize him, it makes him less the socialist extremist.”

A Democratic strategist and donor adviser who was granted anonymity to speak candidly said Adams’ exit could give Schumer and Jeffries cover to either stay out or even to back Cuomo.

“My gut says Jeffries and Schumer do neither and just stay out of it,” the adviser said, adding that “Mamdani is going to be a poster child for Fox News and it’s going to kill us in future elections.”