New York City Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani is a self-described democratic socialist. (Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
Mamdani is a self-described democratic socialist, with critics identifying him more as a "communist" despite the candidate pushing back that he does not hold communist ideologies.
Fox News Digital previously has reported that Mamdani has supported radical Marxist and communist principles, such as calling for the seizure of the "means of production," a tax plan aimed at "taxing the wealthiest New Yorkers," and openly called for a communist mayor of New York City in 2020.
The New Jersey gubernatorial election and Democrat lawmakers hailing from the state have overwhelmingly avoided the Mamdani race as other lawmakers and Democrat leaders — from Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders to New York Attorney General Letitia James to Maryland Gov. Wes Moore — have thrown their support behind the candidate.
Back in July, Sherrill said that she likely would support Mamdani's nomination as the Democrat's candidate for mayor before sidestepping months later.
"If he’s the Democratic candidate, which it sounds like he is, I assume I will (support him)," she told NBC Philadelphia in July. "If he’s going to be working on efficient government, that’s something very interesting to me."
Mamdani, however, said he would "absolutely" support the New Jersey Democrat during a local interview with New York media in August.
New Jersey Democrat Sen. Cory Booker also has evaded answering whether he endorses Mamdani in an August CNN interview. (PG/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)
Current Democrat Gov. Phil Murphy and New Jersey Sen. Andy Kim have not publicly weighed in on Mamdani's race, a Fox News Digital review of recent past remarks found.
One of Sherrill's primary challengers, Democrat Rep. Josh Gottheimer, however, repeatedly has slammed Mamdani as "a job-killing socialist."
"You will hear no ambiguity out of my mouth," Gottheimer said in July. "We do not need a job-killing socialist who wants to raise taxes and supports antisemitic rhetoric. Right? In a city with the highest taxes in the country and the largest Jewish population."
Gottheimer also teamed up with a Republican colleague from across the Hudson River, New York Rep. Mike Lawler, to slam Mamdani in September, after the socialist candidate said he would scrap a Holocaust remembrance group’s definition of "antisemitism" if elected mayor.
EX-MAYOR DE BLASIO TOUTS SOCIALIST MAMDANI AS NEW YORK CITY'S ANSWER TO TRUMP POLICIES
"Zohran Mamdani’s reckless attempt to roll back New York City’s adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism is shameful, dangerous, and completely disgusting," the pair of lawmakers said in a joint statement in September.
Zohran Mamdani responded to reporter questions about the protesters outside his anti-Trump event on Staten Island, New York. (Deirdre Heavey/Fox News Digital)
The New Jersey election is highly anticipated following President Donald Trump's inroads with voters in the deep blue state in the 2024 election, sparking renewed enthusiasm to flip the state red.
New Jersey expectedly backed former Vice President Kamala Harris as president in the 2024 race, but post-election data showed Trump and the GOP flipped five counties red, with Trump specifically cutting his 2020 loss from 16 points to six in 2024.
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Fox News Digital reached out to Sherrill's campaign, Murphy's office, Booker's office and Kim's office for additional comment on the lack of support for the socialist candidate in New York City but did not immediately receive replies.
Fox News Digital also reached out to Mamdani's campaign about the lack of high-profile support from New Jersey Democrats.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/new-jersey-dems-dodge-endorsing-even-mentioning-mamdani-gubernatorial-election-looms