Kamala Harris failed to give Zohran Mamdani a full-throated endorsement when asked about her party’s reluctance to support him.
In an interview with MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow, Ms Harris was quizzed about her ability to spot fresh talent in the Democratic Party, in particular Mr Mamdani, the socialist candidate for mayor of New York City.
Ms Maddow called Mr Mamdani “arguably the fastest rising star right now in Democratic politics”, and questioned Ms Harris on her thoughts about his candidacy and why much of her party was “flummoxed by his success”.
In response, Ms Harris said:“As far as I’m concerned, he’s the Democratic nominee and he should be supported.”
Mr Mamdani has been heralded as “the fastest rising star right now in Democratic politics” – Michael M. Santiago
But when pressed on if she would endorse the socialist candidate, Ms Harris demurred.
“I support the Democrat in the race, sure. But let me just say this: he’s not the only star. I know that he’s in New York, and I know New Yorkers think they’re the centre of the world,” she said with a laugh.
She then attempted to shift the conversation away from Mr Mamdani, towards the larger picture of a new generation in the Democratic Party, name-checking several other less well-known politicians running for higher office across the US.
“I hope that we don’t so over-index on New York City that we lose sight of the stars throughout our country who are right now running for mayor and any other offices – governor, and so on,” Ms Harris said.
Despite Mr Mamdani’s surprise win in the Democratic primary in June and continued rise in the polls, most Democrat figures have declined to endorse him.
Many of them have chosen instead to support his primary opponent Andrew Cuomo, who is running as an independent in the race and was forced to resign as governor of New York over a sexual harassment scandal in 2021.
Polling cited by the New York Times shows Mr Mamdani leading Mr Cuomo two-to-one among the Left-wing candidates, with strong gains since the primary election.
Ms Harris’s comments came during a wide-ranging interview to promote her memoir 107 Days, which chronicles her abbreviated candidacy in the 2024 presidential election.
Ms Harris was asked about Joe Biden’s decision to cling on to his presidential candidacy despite a poor performance in debates – Gerald Herbert
Ms Maddow asked about Joe Biden’s decision to cling on to his presidential candidacy despite a poor performance in debates – which the former US vice president said was “recklessness” given the “high stakes” of the election and “should have been more than just a personal decision”.
She also responded to questions about the need for veteran Democrats to retire in favour of a new generation of politicians – of which Mr Mamdani is a part – which she sidestepped by saying some candidates are “older in age, but very young in terms of how they are thinking”.
Ms Harris also did not rule out running again in 2028, but said it was “not her focus right now”.
Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
