Kamala Harris forms power pact with NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani — as their lengthy phone call emerges

Kamala Harris is quietly strengthening ties with one of the Democratic Party’s fastest-rising progressive stars, holding an extended private phone call with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

The conversation, which took place last week, focused on the future of the party and served as the beginning of what is expected to be a longer series of discussions between the two, Axios reports.

“This is about positioning for the 2028 primary where no candidate knows where the lane for support for Palestinian rights is going to be but they know there’s going to be one,” Republican consultant Mike Madrid told The California Post.

“No question this is a risky move but it’s one transforming both parties and the calculus at the moment has become it’s better to do something than nothing,” he added.

Harris’ outreach came just days after Democratic socialist candidates backed by Mamdani scored victories in three New York congressional primaries, defeating two incumbent lawmakers and further cementing the mayor’s growing influence within the party.

The outreach is part of a broader effort by Harris to rebuild relationships with the Democratic Party’s progressive wing, particularly activists critical of the Biden administration’s handling of the war in Gaza.

She withheld an endorsement in New York City’s mayoral race until after the Democratic primary. Once Mamdani secured the nomination, Harris offered a measured endorsement during an MSNBC interview, saying, “I support the Democrat in the race, sure,” without explicitly mentioning him by name.

Harris has spent months meeting privately with left-wing organizers, including figures connected to the pro-Palestinian Uncommitted Movement, while also holding discussions with longtime Democratic National Committee member James Zogby and Michigan Democrat Abbas Alawieh.

Alawieh said Harris requested their meeting following months of private conversations and that he urged her to oppose the use of US tax dollars to harm civilians or destroy communities.

He also shared accounts from constituents whose relatives were killed in Israeli airstrikes backed by US military assistance.

The renewed outreach marks a notable shift for Harris, whose 2024 presidential campaign struggled to win over many Arab American and progressive voters after declining to significantly distance herself from President Joe Biden’s staunch support for Israel during the conflict in Gaza.

This comes as DSA-backed candidates continue gaining ground across the country.

In New York City, DSA-backed candidates recently unseated several longtime Democratic incumbents in congressional primaries, including Reps. Dan Goldman and Adriano Espaillat.

Similar momentum is emerging elsewhere: In Los Angeles, City Councilmember Nithya Raman is running in the mayoral race against incumbent Karen Bass, while in Washington, DC, DSA member Janeese Lewis George won the Democratic mayoral primary.

In Colorado, political newcomer and democratic socialist Melat Kiros is poised to become the first Gen Z woman elected to Congress after defeating 15-term Rep. Diana DeGette in the Democratic primary, according to a race call.

Madrid said Harris’ recent moves reflect a rapidly changing Democratic electorate and growing divisions within the party.

“Harris’ shift is a sign of just how much has changed, and how quickly, in the Democratic Party on the issue of Palestine and Israel,” he said.

“There’s definitely an emerging split in the party that’s very reminiscent of the Tea Party extremism that consumed the GOP a decade ago,” he said, noting that despite recent DSA gains, “for every DSA win, there’s a [James] Talarico and [Xavier] Becerra win.”

Harris enters the maneuvering from a position of relative strength.

A national Center Square Voters’ Voice Poll published last month found the former vice president remained the leading choice among Democratic voters for the party’s 2028 presidential nomination, earning 27% support — nearly double that of California Gov. Gavin Newsom at 14%.

Although her support has declined from earlier surveys, she continues to hold a commanding lead over a crowded field of potential contenders.

At the same time, other Democrats eyeing the White House have also been recalibrating their positions on Israel as divisions within the party deepen.

Newsom, who is publicly weighing a run as he finishes his final gubernatorial term, briefly described Israel as an “apartheid state” earlier this year before later saying he regretted the wording, while reaffirming his support for Israel and criticizing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rather than the Israeli state itself.

Neither Harris nor representatives for Mamdani publicly commented on the private call, Axios reported.

Mamdani is widely known for his staunch, outspoken criticism of Israel, often describing its policies toward Palestinians as apartheid and genocide, and he strongly supports the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement.

He has taken his time to warm up to the Democratic establishment, including figures such as Harris.

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