Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.) said Sunday he is not ready to endorse Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee for mayor in New York City, citing concerns over rising antisemitism in the city.
In an interview on CBS News New York’s “The Point with Marcia Kramer,” the moderate Democrat acknowledged his shared views with Mamdani on issues of affordability but said he wants to see more “concrete action” from the democratic socialist state assemblyman.
“Well, I’ve had some good conversation with Zohran Mamdani shortly after the primary. He and I have a lot of shared views on affordability and the desire to address our housing crisis, to address the expensive child care,” Goldman said when asked whether he’s made a decision about whether to endorse Mamdani.
He also noted he has pushed for Mamdani’s free bus pilot in the state.
But Goldman said he wants to see more of a commitment from Mamdani to address the “legitimate” concerns of Jewish New Yorkers about antisemitism.
“But I’ve been very clear with him and with New Yorkers that, as mayor, he is ultimately responsible for the safety and security of all New Yorkers — and that includes Jewish New Yorkers, who are at heightened fear right now for legitimate reason,” Goldman said.
“Because 70 percent of religious-based hate crimes are antisemitic,” he continued. “And it’s gone up, and it’s not simply protests or slurs on college campuses, it is actual murders in the name of antisemitism.”
The FBI’s 2024 hate crime report, released last month, shows 69 percent of all religiously motivated hate crimes in the United States targeted Jews last year. That share is 85 percent in New York City, according to OpenData crime statistics from last year.
Among all hate crimes reported in New York City in 2024, those against Jewish people accounted for 52 percent of the total — compared with the 6 percent each recorded against Black people, Asian people and Muslim people in 2024. Anti-gay hate crimes accounted for 12 percent of the total last year.
“And so I have asked him to consider taking serious and concrete action to demonstrate that he is going to make sure that Jews are protected and are secure in our city, and I hope he does that,” Goldman said.
The interview comes as some party leaders in the state have hesitated to lend their endorsements to the left-leaning candidate, reluctant to appear out of touch with average American voters, who delivered Republicans a governing trifecta in Washington last November.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) recently backed Mamdani’s bid for mayor, but the two top Democrats in Congress, who happen both to be from New York — Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries — have so far withheld their support in the closely watched race.