Jeffries dodges on whether socialist NYC mayor signals party’s future
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Following Zohran Mamdani’s decisive mayoral victory in New York City on Tuesday, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) dodged the question about whether the self-proclaimed Democratic socialist is the future of the Democratic Party.
“You had record turnout this election in New York City. Would you say Mamdani is the future of the Democratic Party?” a reporter asked Jeffries at a news conference on Capitol Hill on Wednesday.
“What Democrats have done across the country is address the issue of affordability because America’s very expensive costs are too high, and Donald Trump and the Republicans have not only done nothing about it, but they’ve made it worse as a result of Trump tariffs that have detonated the clean energy economy,” Jeffries said.
“That’s why electricity bills are skyrocketing. And now, of course, they’re forcing the American people to dump dramatically increased health premiums on them,” he added.
SOCIALIST SHOCKWAVE: ZOHRAN MAMDANI SURPRISES NYC AS VOTERS PUT THEIR POWER TO THE DEMOCRATS’ FAR LEFT WING
Democratic Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC, on October 30, 2025. Zohran Mamdani, now Mayor-elect of New York, speaks to the media during a campaign event in the Brooklyn borough of New York City on November 1, 2025. (Eric Lee/Bloomberg via Getty Images; Stephanie Keith/Getty Images)
Jeffries was also asked if he was personally pleased that the city he represents, America’s most populous, is run by a socialist.
In response, Jeffries responded by saying that Mamdani “is the elected mayor of New York City,” adding: “It’s everyone’s job to make sure he’s successful.”
Although Mamdani, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, DY, the Democratic Party’s top leadership has been slower to give them their endorsement. Jeffries did not answer whether he would support Mamdani until just before early voting began on Oct. 24. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (DY) never issued an endorsement of Mamdani. But he described the election victory as “historic”.
Mamdani, a 34-year-old Ugandan immigrant, is New York City’s first Muslim mayor.
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Zohran Mamdani gives a victory speech at the mayoral election night vigil party on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, in New York City. (Yuki Iwamura/AP)
Although he dodged those questions, Jeffries received a similar question earlier in the week about whether Mamdani was the future of the Democratic Party, prompting him to say: “I think the future of the Democratic Party, from our perspective, is going to fall short compared to the House Democratic Caucus and its members who are doing great work across the country as it relates to both of our needs to take back control of the House.”
Jeffries called Tuesday night’s election “a big night for the American people” and “a big night for the Democratic Party.”
Democrats notched big victories in New York City, as well as California, Virginia and New Jersey. He called the election results “a definitive rejection of Donald Trump and failed Republican policies.”
This comes as the government shutdown due to Obamacare subsidies and health benefits expiring entered its 36th day, making it the longest shutdown in U.S. history.
Senate Democrats voted 14 times to reject the House-passed permanent budget bill that would reopen the government.
Even so, Jeffries said he believes Tuesday’s elections show the country blames President Donald Trump and Republicans for the shutdown, and that more Democratic victories are expected in 2026.
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Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (DY) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (DY) update reporters after face-to-face meetings with President Donald Trump and Republican leaders in Washington, Monday, September 29, 2025. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo)
“We’re going to take back control of the United States House of Representatives. So let’s be very clear about that,” he said. “Given the environment that we know exists, that’s the truth that we’ve been telling you as Democrats for the last few months, but it’s now been borne out by the American people.”
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He also praised the passage of California’s redistricting proposal backed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, saying it would further help Democrats take back the House.
“Stay tuned because there’s more to come,” he said. “Republicans will not be able to rig the midterm elections. This plan is over. It is buried in the ground. And so we will take back control of the House and fight for every inch of territory.”
