Rep. Adam Smith of Washington on Sunday dismissed the idea that Zohran Mamdani speaks for the entire Democratic Party, saying the socialist who won the party’s nomination for New York City mayor is part of a big tent.
Mr. Mamdani, a New York assemblyman who has centered his campaign on making the Big Apple more affordable, has emerged as the new darling of the Democratic Party’s left wing, which has embraced his calls for free buses, city-run grocery stores and tax hikes on the wealthy.
Republicans have cast him as the future of the Democratic Party, betting that his liberal policies will not sit well with many voters.
“No, Mamdani is not speaking for our party any more than I am speaking for our party,” Mr. Smith said on “Fox News Sunday.” “It is a big tent. It is a big coalition.”
“The mayor of New York, no matter who he is, is not going to be the leader of the party,” he added.
Mr. Mamdani, a 33-year-old Muslim, has been working to build his support since defeating former Gov. Andrew Cuomo by nearly 13 percentage points in the Democratic primary.
Despite the setback, Mr. Cuomo announced last week that he is staying in the race, saying he had played it too safe in the primary and plans to take a more aggressive approach as an independent in the general election.
Mr. Cuomo said he is going to make it clear to New Yorkers that Mr. Mamdani’s vision and inexperience would prove to be disastrous for the city.
Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat, is seeking reelection as an independent. Curtis Sliwa, a Republican, and Jim Walden, another independent, are also running.
Mr. Mamdani has been garnering endorsements, including those from labor unions that backed Mr. Cuomo in the primary. But he has yet to win the support of Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, both New York Democrats.
On Friday, Mr. Mamdani met with Mr. Jeffries, who has been concerned about some of Mr. Mamdani’s past comments on Israel, which some Jewish voters find offensive.
The Mamdani campaign said they discussed “the cost-of-living crisis facing New Yorkers and the importance of Democrats taking back the House in 2026.”
• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.