Sen. Cory Booker Refuses Endorsement NYC Mayoral Socialist Zohran Mamdani

Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey declined to endorse Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic socialist candidate for New York City mayor, during a CNN interview. When pressed by CNN's Manu Raju about whether the Democratic Party is failing to embrace the left flank represented by Mamdani, Booker emphasized that the current political divide is less about left versus right and more about authoritarianism versus pragmatic governance. Booker repeatedly avoided directly supporting Mamdani, stating that he is focused on New Jersey politics, including supporting gubernatorial candidate Mikie Sherrill, and urged New Yorkers to manage their own elections. Mamdani has faced criticism for his radical policies, including proposals to increase property taxes on wealthier neighborhoods and efforts to defund the NYPD, as well as controversial stances on the Israel-Hamas conflict. Booker framed the political challenges as a distraction orchestrated by big corporations seeking to divide the public and insisted the priority should be pragmatic governance that improves Americans' lives. His refusal to endorse Mamdani aligns with other Democrats' reluctance to support the socialist candidate despite his primary victory.