Zohran Mamdani. Photo: Ron Adar / SOPA Images via Reuters Connect

New York Democratic Party chairman Jay Jacobs is refusing to endorse his party’s New York City mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani, deepening internal divisions just days after Gov. Kathy Hochul stunned Democrats by backing the progressive candidate.

Jacobs, a longtime ally of the party’s moderate wing, has cited irreconcilable differences with Mamdani on economic policy, the Israel-Hamas war, and the broader platform of the Democratic Socialists of America, with which Mamdani is aligned. While acknowledging affordability as a shared concern, Jacobs argued that the nominee’s vision for addressing inequality and his stance on Israel are fundamentally at odds with his own.

“Mr. Mamdani and I are in agreement that America’s greatest problem is the continued growth in income disparity in our nation. On how to address it – we fundamentally disagree,” he said in a statement

“Furthermore, as I expressed to him directly, I strongly disagree with his views on the State of Israel, along with certain key policy positions,” he continued. 

The rebuke comes as Democrats face mounting pressure to unify behind Mamdani, who secured the nomination after defeating former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in a contentious primary. Cuomo has remained in the race as an independent and is Mamdani’s chief rival, according to recent polling, which shows Mamdani with a comfortable lead.

Hochul’s decision earlier this week to endorse Mamdani stunned many within the party, given her past skepticism toward his policies and her reputation as a more centrist governor wary of alienating suburban moderates. Hochul attempted to justify her decision to endorse the left-wing firebrand, claiming that he was receptive to cracking down on antisemitism and addressing public safety concerns.  

Nonetheless, Jacobs’ refusal to follow suit underscores the challenge of rallying the party’s establishment around a nominee who has long embraced a more progressive, democratic socialist brand of politics.

A little-known politician before this year’s Democratic primary campaign, Mamdani is an outspoken supporter of the boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement, which seeks to isolate Israel from the international community as a step toward its eventual elimination.

Mamdani has also repeatedly refused to recognize Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state, falsely suggesting the country does not offer “equal rights” for all its citizens, and promised to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he visits New York.

Mamdani also initially defended the phrase “globalize the intifada”— which references previous periods of sustained Palestinian terrorism against Jews and Israels and has been widely interpreted as a call to expand political violence — by invoking the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising during World War II. However, Mamdani has since backpedaled on his support for the phrase, saying that he would discourage his supporters from using the slogan.

In recent weeks, Mamdani has also eschewed his previous support for defunding police and abolishing misdemeanors in an apparent last-ditch attempt to galvanize support among moderate voters. 

Jacobs’ decision also underscores mounting tensions in key affluent suburban counties like Nassau, where Jacobs has deep political ties and where Democrats fear Mamdani’s candidacy could become a liability in down-ballot races.

With prominent Democratic leaders such as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries in the US Congress yet to weigh in decisively, the exact extent of the party’s support for Mamdani remains uncertain.