Cory Booker skirts question on Zohran Mamdani endorsement

Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) avoided questions on the endorsement of socialist candidate for New York City mayor, Zohran Mamdani, during a recent CNN interview. This comes after some Democrats have thrown their support behind the far-left candidate, and others have refrained from doing so. 

In an interview that aired on Sunday on CNN with Booker, the New Jersey Senator was asked if he supported Mamdani, like other Democrats have done in recent weeks after the socialist candidate beat former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in the mayoral primary. “Democratic leaders are not supporting [Mamdani]. Is that a problem? Do you support him?” CNN's Manu Raju asked.

Booker avoided the question altogether and said that the “lines that divide us in America are not nearly as strong as the ties that bind us."

“Big corporations, people want to keep our eyes on the screen, want to pit us against each other and tell us how much we should hate each other. I am sorry. The left-right lens is not the right lens to look at this right now,” Booker added. “Right now it is: Can we get back to the pragmatic work of governing?”

After Booker dodged the question, the CNN host pressed him again, asking, “Mamdani, are you going to support him?” Booker declined to endorse the socialist.

“I have learned a long time ago: Let New York politics be New York politics,” Booker said. “We’ve got enough challenges in Jersey. I got a governor’s race. I’m supporting Mikie Sherrill. I got legislative races. That’s where my energy is going to go going into November. New York City, I love you. You’re my neighbor. You’re about 10 miles from where I live. You guys figure out your elections. I’m going to focus on mine."

Mamdani, who has talked about imposing rent freezes and launching government-operated grocery stores—reportedly from an accounting error using information from New York City’s government website—gained support from far-left activists in the mayoral race and was able to pull off an upset in the Democratic primary for New York City mayor.

Some endorsements he has gained include fellow socialist Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) as well as Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA). He has also gained endorsements from congressional “Squad” members Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and ex-Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY).

However, other Democrats have not been so excited to throw their support behind Mamdani. Left-wing activists and politicians have been pressuring NY Democratic leaders such as Governor Kathy Hochul, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to hop on the Mamdani train.

Per the New York Daily News, Senator Warren even pressed on Democrat leaders, including Schumer and Jeffries, to throw their support behind Mamdani’s message at a campaign stop in Manhattan on Monday.