In NYC mayoral race, will AOC help progressives beat Andrew Cuomo?

[RandySF]

As Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez works to build a movement against President Donald Trump, anticipation is building in her hometown for the Democratic congressmember’s potential intervention in the New York City mayoral race.

“She is among the heavyweight A-list endorsers who have the power to change the trajectory of the race,” said Trip Yang, a Democratic strategist.

At a time when a changing political climate has thrown the value of traditional endorsements into question, Ocasio-Cortez’s unusual celebrity and social media prowess allow her to wield significant influence. She stands to offer clarity to left-leaning voters in a ranked-choice primary, where progressives are hoping to apply a unified strategy to beat Andrew Cuomo, a moderate frontrunner and longtime progressive nemesis with a significant lead in the polls.

The primary is crowded with contenders vying to Cuomo’s left, and two top progressives hold potential appeal for Ocasio-Cortez. At the front of the pack, Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani from Queens has been compared to her for his communication skills and deft use of social media, making him the favorite of young left-leaning voters who are critical to AOC’s own star power. But city Comptroller Brad Lander is a New York City fixture, having won her endorsement for his progressive track record when he ran for his current office in 2021.



https://gothamist.com/news/in-nyc-mayoral-race-will-aoc-help-progressives-beat-andrew-cuomo