House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries on Friday endorsed Zohran Mamdani to serve as the next mayor of New York City after months of dodging questions about his stance on the 34-year-old Democratic socialist.

The minority leader issued a written endorsement of Mamdani, the Democratic nominee in the mayoral contest, less than one day before the start of early voting. Jeffries’ public display of support comes after Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders — two figures widely viewed as the leaders of the party’s far-left flank — sharply criticized the minority leader for dragging his feet on an endorsement.

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