Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer is being coy about why he has refused to jump aboard the Zohran Mamdani bandwagon in the New York City mayoral race.

Mr. Schumer, New York Democrat, said Sunday he has had a good relationship with Mr. Mamdani and he had a good meeting with the Democratic mayoral nominee earlier this month.

“All I can tell you is that I am going to continue talking to him,” Mr. Schumer said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

Asked if he is concerned that endorsing Mr. Mamdani, a democratic socialist, would hurt the party’s national brand and its chance of winning back the Senate, Mr. Schumer grinned and shook his head before reiterating, “I am going to continue talking to him.”

Mr. Mamdani scored a resounding victory in the June Democratic primary race, delighting the liberal base of the party, which is fed up with the status quo.

But he has had a tough time winning over the top brass of the Democratic Party — namely, Mr. Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, another fellow New Yorker.

Political insiders and analysts have opined that Democrats are scared that Mr. Mamdani’s brand of politics could hurt the party writ large.

President Trump and Republicans are hoping that is the case, and have been eager to paint Mr. Mamdani as the new face of the Democratic Party — confident that his push to address the city’s affordability challenges with free child care, free buses, higher taxes on the wealthy and businesses, and city-run grocery stores will scare voters outside the city.

Democrats are also concerned about Mr. Mamdani’s stance on Israel, namely his criticism of the war against Hamas in Gaza, and prior refusal to condemn the slogan “globalize the intifada,” which some see as a call for violence against Jewish people.

New York State Democratic Committee Chairman Jay Jacobs has said he will not back Mr. Mamdani for mayor, saying he agrees with his focus on making the city more affordable but not his plan.

However, Mr. Mamdani did recently win the support of Gov. Kathy Hochul, who had been dragging her feet for weeks.

Ms. Hochul, who is running for re-election next year, said she agrees with Mr. Mamdani’s push to make the city safer for children and make it easier for working-class families to make ends meet.

“Mr. Mamdani and I will both be fearless in confronting the president’s extreme agenda — with urgency, conviction and the defiance that defines New York,” Ms. Hochul said. “And we must never allow Mr. Trump to control our city like the king he wants to be.”

Mr. Mamdani is leading the contest, which also features New York City Mayor Eric Adams and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, both Democrats running as independents; and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa, founder of the crime-prevention group Guardian Angels.

• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.