Mamdani Seeks to Unite Progressives Behind Left-Wing 2028 Candidate

Barred from the White House by birth in Uganda, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is positioning himself as a progressive kingmaker for 2028, according to Axios.

Four people familiar with the talks told the outlet that Mamdani has been meeting privately with union leaders and urging a labor-aligned or leftist presidential run, arguing that progressives cannot afford to squander midterm momentum.

The outreach follows Mamdani’s win in New York City’s mayoral race.

Labor Leaders at Gracie Mansion

Last month, Mamdani summoned International Union of Painters and Allied Trades President Jimmy Williams Jr. to Gracie Mansion to discuss 2028, the sources said.

He asked which potential presidential candidates Williams favored, how the union’s endorsement process would work, and whether Williams had considered running.

Williams told Axios he is “absolutely supportive” of labor candidates. “We put a freaking ironworker in Congress. We put a IUPAT member in the Senate,” he said, while ruling out a personal bid.

Association of Flight Attendants-C.W.A. President Sara Nelson also met Mamdani recently on 2028. The mayor plans a forthcoming session with United Automobile Workers President Shawn Fain. Spokespeople for Mamdani, Nelson and Fain did not comment.

AOC Path Unclear

Behind closed doors, Mamdani has admitted uncertainty over whether Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, his close political partner, will seek the White House, the Axios sources said.

Many progressives believe she is leaning toward a 2028 Senate run, though she has said she is considering both options. Asked by WNYC last month whether he wants her to run for president, Mamdani said, “I want to see AOC do whatever it is that AOC wants to do,” and called her “an inspiration.”

If she stays out, Axios reported, the Democratic primary could leave the party’s insurgent left without a standard-bearer—anxiety that also shadows early 2028 jockeying such as Harris’s outreach to Mamdani and other progressives.

Alternatives and a Centrist Threat

With Ocasio-Cortez’s plans unresolved, some on the left are looking to Michigan’s incoming Sen. Abdul El-Sayed or California Rep. Ro Khanna, who is widely expected to run. Others are talking up a labor candidate.

“Progressive ideas only win when working-class voters see themselves in the fight,” Mamdani told Axios. “There’s no better way to do that than to run an actual worker for president, not a professional politician.”

One source who has spoken with the mayor said he wants progressives ready to unite against any leading centrist contender they oppose. Mamdani “wants the progressive ecosystem to mobilize quickly, strategically and efficiently if a moderate candidate is clearly on the rise,” the person said, pointing to Barack Obama’s apparent role consolidating support for Joe Biden against Bernie Sanders in 2020. Axios did not name a specific centrist target.

That recruitment track includes the “Better Democrats” slate that ousted New York incumbents. Left-wing activists have encouraged Fain to consider a presidential bid, but he told the Detroit News last month he has “no plans” to run.