Mamdani Begins Making Moves to Leave His Mark on 2028 Presidential Election: Report
New York City’s Democratic Mayor Zorhan is hoping to be a kingmaker heading into 2028, after Republicans were routed in this year’s midterm elections.
Mamdani has been holding private meetings with union officials about supporting far-left candidates to run for president, according to Axios.
The outlet cited four people familiar with the discussions.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York has been touted as a potential White House candidate, especially after Democrats’ strong showing on Election Day.
AOC’s name is also being discussed as a potential replacement for Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer, who is up for reelection in 2028.
If she chooses not to run for president, however, it could leave the field without a socialist candidate, something Mamdani is reportedly concerned about.
Mamdani is ineligible to run for president, having been born in Uganda. He therefore must act as a surrogate.
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He “wants the progressive ecosystem to mobilize quickly, strategically and efficiently if a moderate candidate is clearly on the rise,” one source said.
The same source highlighted how Mamdani helped recruit and elect several congressional candidates in New York this past election cycle.
Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, met with Mamdani to discuss 2028, and he’s also set to meet with Shawn Fain, president of the United Automobile Workers.
This news comes just days after Mamdani was seen grinning with glee as New York’s Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul teased the prospect of new taxes, some of which would go to fund child care programs he has strongly supported.
Mamdani and Hochul were speaking at a joint news briefing when a reporter asked about the prospect of raising taxes on the “wealthy.”
Pointing to her “record over the last five years,” which included repeated tax increases, Hochul said that “when we have a severe need to do something extraordinary, I am willing to do what has to happen.”
“I had to increase the Payroll Mobility Tax to make sure that we would keep the lifeline of New York City functioning, and that is the subway system,” she continued, touting one of the many tax hikes during her tenure.
Gov. Kathy Hochul, who campaigned on no new taxes, tells reporters that she is open to new taxes “if there is a need.”
She also said a key area is universal childcare and a “path forward” will be announced at the State of the State.
She did not comment to cutting spending. https://t.co/tAFRRZo11Y
— Craig McCarthy (@createcraig) November 6, 2026
“I did that for the MTA. Again, I couldn’t let New York City have its bond rating downgraded, causing chaos,” Hochul added. “I needed to help the mayor get out of a problem he didn’t create.”
As for AOC, the New York Post reported last week that progressives are gearing up for her presidential campaign in 2028, citing the “Ready for AOC” hybrid PAC.
“Tuesday made the waters a lot warmer for AOC to run,” Adam Green, co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, told the outlet.
“Abdul [El-Sayed] and others proved that anti-establishment leaders who challenge corporate power can win in presidential battleground states,” he concluded.
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