Kamala Harris reaches out to Zohran Mamdani and Democratic Socialists of America ahead of 2028 election

Mamdani, a vocal critic of the Biden-Harris administration’s policy toward Gaza and Israel’s war against Hamas, declined to endorse Harris during her campaign.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Former Vice President Kamala Harris has begun reaching out to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and other democratic socialists as she considers a 2028 presidential campaign, Axios reported, signaling an effort to engage the Democratic Party’s increasingly influential progressive wing.

According to Axios, Harris recently spoke by phone with Mamdani following a string of victories by progressive candidates in New York City Democratic primaries.

The report said the growing prominence of Democratic Socialists of America members within the party was highlighted by the election of three progressive candidates in last week’s Democratic primaries in New York City.

During the conversation, Harris reportedly told Mamdani, “You are bringing people in and you are showing that there are voices that want to be heard.”

Mamdani confirmed the call took place, saying the discussion focused on his affordability agenda for working-class voters and “the importance of joy amidst the struggle of our politics.”

The outreach marks a shift in the relationship between the two politicians, who differed publicly during the 2024 presidential campaign.

Mamdani, a vocal critic of the Biden-Harris administration’s policy toward Gaza and Israel’s war against Hamas, declined to endorse Harris during the campaign and instead supported the “Uncommitted” movement.

After Mamdani won the Democratic primary, Harris responded cautiously in an MSNBC interview, saying only that he was the party’s nominee and “should be supported.”

Axios also reported that, following President Donald Trump’s victory over Harris in the 2024 election, an internal Democratic National Committee review concluded that Harris’ position on Israel and Gaza had hurt her electoral prospects.

According to the report, members of the Democratic National Committee shared findings with pro-Palestinian activists from the IMEU Policy Project indicating that Harris’ approach to Israel and Gaza, which aligned with former President Joe Biden’s policies, was viewed overall as a “net negative” during the election.

The reported outreach comes as Harris seeks to strengthen ties with an ascendant progressive faction that has gained influence within the Democratic Party following recent primary victories.