NEW YORK CITY -- Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez endorsed Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani on Thursday as her top choice for New York City mayor, a widely expected backing coming the morning after the first New York City mayoral debate .

State "Assemblymember Mamdani has demonstrated a real ability on the ground to put together a coalition of working-class New Yorkers that is strongest to lead the pack," Ocasio-Cortez said in the endorsement. "In the final stretch of the race, we need to get very real about that."

The endorsement had been highly anticipated, as Mamdani closes the gap with former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the weeks before the June 24 Democratic primary.

Mamdani was laser focused Wednesday night on Cuomo, who came prepared with his own responses.

"This is actually the perfect

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