NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- Former Mayor Bill de Blasio endorsed Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani for mayor on Tuesday, saying "New Yorkers are demanding sweeping changes."
The endorsement came in an opinion piece in the Daily News titled, “Why I am endorsing Zohran Mamdani.”
In the op-ed, de Blasio—who served two terms and left office in 2021—credited Mamdani for “relentlessly challenging the status quo of deepening unaffordability” in NYC and putting "working people first."
The former mayor said his own efforts at progressive reforms—including paid sick days and pre-K for all—were criticized as “recklessly idealistic” but that he delivered on many.
He believes Mamdani can “go even further” with his proposals like free buses and a rent freeze for millions of tenants.
De Blasio said Mamdani’s vision isn't only possible but is also desired by New Yorkers who delivered him a “historic Democratic primary victory” in June.
“We need him because in his heart and in his bones he cannot accept a city that prices out the people who built it and keep it running,” de Blasio said.