The Democratic Party is in fits over Mamdani's bid for NYC mayor. Republicans are loving it

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NEW YORK (AP) — Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen stood before Iowa Democrats over the weekend and blasted his party’s leadership as “spineless” for refusing to endorse Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee for New York City mayor.

“Many Democratic members of the Senate and the House representing New York have stayed on the sidelines,” Van Hollen said. “That kind of spineless politics is what people are sick of. They need to get behind him and get behind him now.”

It was another jab in an ongoing rift within the party over Mamdani's campaign. Democratic leaders in Washington and moderate Democrats on the ballot this fall are actively distancing themselves from Mamdani, a 33-year-old self-described democratic socialist, while progressives rally behind him, noting Mamdani's economic populism and youthful charisma have generated tremendous support from grassroots activists well beyond New York.

Meanwhile, Republicans, including President Donald Trump, are watching with delight and sometimes piling on, linking Mamdani and his far-left policies to the Democratic brand. That's been the case in New Jersey and Virginia, the only states holding elections for governor this year, and GOP officials have signaled that the strategy will continue well into next year’s high-stakes midterm elections.

Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul endorsed Mamdani on Sunday, declaring in a New York Times opinion piece that “New York needs leaders who will put aside differences, stand up and fight back against Mr. Trump.”

Trump responded Monday in a social media post where he inaccurately described Mamdani as a communist and implied federal funding could be withheld from the city if Mamdani is elected.

“This is a rather shocking development, and a very bad one for New York City," Trump wrote. "Washington will be watching this situation very closely. No reason to be sending good money after bad!”

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has repeatedly declined to endorse Mamdani when asked by reporters, saying, “I choose to make endorsements when I choose to make endorsements.” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said he met with Mamdani last week — but did not endorse him. Both are New Yorkers.

Schumer and Mamdani worked together on issues in the past, including debt relief for taxi drivers, and have spoken highly of each other. After Mamdani won the Democratic primary, Schumer praised him on social media for running a campaign that connected with New Yorkers.

The lack of endorsement underscores the political pressure the leaders face, needing to win races not just in Democratic strongholds like New York but also in swing states or places that lean toward Republicans, such as Senate contests next year in North Carolina and Ohio.

Mamdani has been an outspoken critic of Israel. He called its military campaign in Gaza a “genocide” and said Palestine should exist as “a state with equal rights." He also has called for tax increases on the wealthy to make life more affordable for everyday New Yorkers through initiatives like free buses.

The split also has deepened within the New York delegation itself. After Hochul's endorsement, Rep. Tom Suozzi on Monday said he would not be endorsing Mamdani because he does not agree “with his proposed solutions.” In contrast, swing-district Rep. Pat Ryan endorsed Mamdani on Tuesday: “I know whose side I’m on. I’m with the people. I’m with Zohran.”

For many progressives, the Democratic establishment's Mamdani snub has echoes of Sen. Bernie Sanders' political rise. The independent Vermont senator struggled for decades to earn the support and respect of Democratic leaders, even as his popularity exploded and he emerged as a leading presidential candidate.

Perhaps that's why Sanders himself has served as one of Mamdani's fiercest defenders.

“I find it hard to understand how the major Democratic leaders in New York State are not supporting the Democratic candidate,” Sanders said last week. “So, we got another fight on our hands, and that is the future of the Democratic Party.”

National progressive groups have united behind Mamdani, sensing much larger stakes than New York City's mayoral contest.

“I can’t overstate how angry grassroots voters are. It's off the charts on this one,” said Joseph Geevarghese, executive director of Our Revolution, an activist group born of the Sanders movement.

The debate has spilled into contested primaries ahead of next year’s midterm elections. That includes a Senate contest in Michigan between establishment candidates like Rep. Haley Stevens and state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, and Abdul El-Sayed, who is more of a political outsider.

“It’s odd to me that if a candidate were to win a Democratic primary that the Democratic party wouldn’t take notes and understand why that person won. And then shift accordingly,” said El-Sayed.

“Parties exist to funnel the will of the people and I think when you have a growing chasm between leadership in the party and what the people want, that only ever ends up in one way: Either the parties lose elections, or the party moves."

Republicans are actively fighting to link Democratic candidates to Mamdani.

In New Jersey, Republican gubernatorial nominee Jack Ciattarelli described Mamdani as a sign the “modern Democratic Party has lost its mind.”

The Republican's campaign also made a digital ad showing video from Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill’s interview in which she was asked if she’d back Mamdani’s general election campaign. She said, assuming he’s the nominee, “I assume I will.”

Ciattarelli has posted the video on social media throughout the campaign, most recently last week.

Sherrill has disengaged when asked about Mamdani. She had earlier said she would back the eventual Democratic nominee in New York City’s mayoral race but later said she wasn’t wading into the contest and was letting voters there decide the race.

“As she’s said throughout the campaign, Mikie’s leaving the NYC mayoral race to the voters of New York," Sherrill campaign spokesperson Carly Jones told The Associated Press.

Virginia Democratic governor candidate Abigail Spanberger's team offered almost identical language when asked if she would endorse Mamdani, saying, "Abigail is laser-focused on Virginia."

In New York, Mamdani faces former Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo and incumbent Mayor Eric Adams — both running as independents.

After Hochul's endorsement, Mamdani said he was grateful “for her support in unifying our party.”

Earlier, he had a more pointed message for veteran Democratic officials like Cuomo, a powerhouse in New York politics for decades.

“What Andrew Cuomo doesn’t seem to understand is that him and Donald Trump are two sides of the same coin that New Yorkers want to throw away into the dustbin of history,” Mamdani said in a recent podcast. “We want a new kind of politics.”

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Cappelletti reported from Washington. AP writers Mike Catalini in Trenton, New Jersey and Olivia Diaz in Richmond, Virginia contributed.