Queens Democrats refuse to back Zohran Mamdani for NYC mayor amid fears of party backlash

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Just days before the election, Democratic power players in the Queens borough refused to endorse Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani for New York City mayor.

While one would think the local Democrats would rally behind the guy who actually clinched the nomination, the Queens Democratic Party, led by Rep Gregory Meeks, has decided to sit this one out.

Queens Democrats keep Zohran Mamdani at arm's length

“We have a lot of Democrats in Queens who do not support Mamdani,” Democratic district leader Hiram Monserrate told the New York Post. The comment came shortly after the party’s glitzy preelection bash at Antun’s restaurant last week, where Andrew Cuomo’s campaign flyers were the ones making the rounds at tables.

“There is a reckoning occurring in the Democratic Party,” Monserrate added. “There is a growing concern that socialism is hijacking the Democratic Party.”

The Queens Democratic machine backed Cuomo in June’s primary. But the Astoria-based lawmaker Mamdani smoked the former governor in a shocking upset, forcing Cuomo to take his chances in the general election on an independent line.

Still, Meeks and his party pals have kept Mamdani at arm’s length ever since. “I don’t understand it. It’s disgraceful,” one insider fumed.

But according to Monserrate, Meeks knew better than to go all-in on Mamdani and would have faced pushback if he recommended an endorsement.

Allies, enemies, and silent spectators

Not everyone’s abandoning ship. Mamdani’s got some local heavy-hitters in his corner, including Queens Borough President Donovan Richards and state Sen John Liu. But Liu’s backing stirred up heat from his Jewish supporters, who aren’t thrilled with Mamdani’s record on Israel.

Meanwhile, plenty of other Democratic bigwigs are either quietly rooting for Cuomo or keeping their lips zipped, sources said. 

Meeks, insiders say, never personally endorsed Mamdani anyway. He’s apparently more focused on using Queens’ clout to shape who’ll become the next City Council speaker.

In fact, Meeks’ own son-in-law, James Johnson, happens to be working on Cuomo’s campaign as a faith-based outreach coordinator.

Staten Island chaos and tightening polls

Queens isn’t the only borough in turmoil. The Staten Island Democrats are also at war with themselves over the mayoral race.

The island’s party originally backed Cuomo in the primary. But when Mamdani won, chair Laura LoBianco Sword tried to get the group in line behind him by calling him “the party’s nominee.” However, other district leaders revolted, and Sword ended up stepping down.

Now Assemblyman Charles Fall is running the Staten Island party, but there's still no endorsement for Mamdani.

Over in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and the Bronx, however, the Democratic committees have all thrown their weight behind the nominee. All in all, the city’s literally divided borough by borough as voters head to the polls.

Early voting has ended, and polls officially open at 9 am on Tuesday, November 4. As the clock is ticking, the race has gone from comfortable to a cliffhanger.

According to the latest AtlasIntel survey (conducted October 25-30), Mamdani is leading with 41% support, Cuomo is sitting at 34%, and Republican Curtis Sliwa trails at 24%. That gives Mamdani just a 6.6-point cushion, his slimmest lead since July.

It's clear he is losing steam when compared to earlier numbers. A Fox News-Beacon Research poll (conducted October 24-28) had Mamdani up by 16 points, 47% to 31%. A Marist University poll from the same period also had him up 48% to 32%.

But a Suffolk University poll (conducted October 23-26) hinted at the slowdown, with Mamdani at 44%, Cuomo at 34%, and Sliwa at 11%. That’s a steep slide from the 20-point lead Mamdani enjoyed in September, now shaved down to just 10.