Mamdani confirms Harris has been ‘in touch’ as queries swirl over 2028 run
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani confirmed that former Vice president Kamala Harris has been in contact with him for several months, suggesting she is engaging with progressive leaders as she considers a potential 2028 presidential bid. Harris reportedly reached out too Mamdani shortly after helping Democratic candidates in New York’s primary elections, signaling efforts to strengthen ties with the party’s left wing. She also met privately with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and has expanded outreach to pro-Palestinian activists, indicating a strategic move to align more closely with progressive and activist groups within the Democratic Party. These interactions are seen as part of Harris’s broader effort to solidify her political standing amid ongoing debates about the party’s future direction and her prospects for future campaigns. Harris’s engagements include discussions on her foreign policy stance, such as her firm opposition to starting an Iran war, and efforts to connect with grassroots movements, although some activists remain disillusioned due to her perceived reluctance to include certain voices at the Democratic National Convention.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani confirmed Wednesday that former Vice President Kamala Harris has been in contact with him for a few months, the latest indication that the former Democratic presidential nominee is strengthening ties with the party’s progressive wing as she weighs a possible 2028 White House bid.
“Yes. That is true,” the socialist mayor said during an appearance on SiriusXM’s The Clay Cane Show. “The vice president reached out to have a conversation, and we’ve had a brief conversation. We’ve been in touch over the last few months, and I really do appreciate her outreach.”
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The acknowledgment comes as speculation continues to build that Harris, who lost the 2024 presidential election to President Donald Trump, is laying the groundwork for another run in 2028. Her outreach to Mamdani, one of the country’s highest-profile socialists and a rising star on the Left, is likely to fuel questions about how Harris is positioning herself within a Democratic Party increasingly influenced by progressive activists.
Harris called Mamdani two days after his endorsed candidates helped unseat two incumbent Democrats in New York’s primary elections earlier this month, according to Axios, victories that underscored the growing political clout of the party’s left flank. Harris also reportedly met privately with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) on the sidelines of the “Power Rising” conference in Chicago, a gathering focused on empowering black women leaders.
Taken together, the outreach is likely to fuel speculation that Harris is working to strengthen relationships with progressive leaders after years of criticism from some on the Left over her record and political positioning. With the Democratic Party engaged in an internal debate over its future direction following the 2024 election, relationships with influential figures such as Mamdani and Ocasio-Cortez could prove increasingly important should Harris enter the next presidential race.
Harris has also quietly expanded her outreach to pro-Palestinian activists, a constituency that frequently clashed with her 2024 campaign over former President Joe Biden’s handling of the war in Gaza. Members of Harris’s team have reportedly been engaging with activists over the past year, including at least one organizer who helped launch the Uncommitted Movement.
KAMALA HARRIS SAYS SHE ‘ABSOLUTELY’ WOULDN’T HAVE STARTED IRAN WAR
Uncommitted delegates said the Harris campaign rejected their request to allow a Palestinian American to address the Democratic National Convention, leaving many activists disillusioned and divided over whether to support her in the general election.
It also reported that Harris met last week in Detroit with Abbas Alawieh, a cofounder of the Uncommitted Movement who is now running as a Democrat for a Michigan state Senate seat.
Alawieh has said he voted for Harris in the 2024 election.
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