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The United Federation of Teachers is now throwing its support behind Zohran Mamdani in the general election for mayor of New York City, after the union declined to endorse a candidate during the Democratic primary.
The UFT’s delegate assembly voted Tuesday to endorse the 33-year-old Queens state assemblyman, less than a month after it refused to endorse the Democratic socialist in the primary.
At that time, union President Michael Mulgrew said there were unbreachable rifts among the rank-and-file over the candidates’ level of experience to manage the city and their positions on non-education issues, including Israel and the crisis in the Gaza Strip.
Members who cared most about affordability, he said, favored Mamdani. Other members supported former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and former Comptroller Scott Stringer.
But now that the primary is over, it is unsurprising that the union would throw its weight behind the Democratic candidate.
Other major unions have made similar moves, including the Hotel and Gaming Trades Council; Local 32BJ SEIU, representing building workers, including doormen; and the New York State Nurses Association, all of whom supported former Gov. Andrew Cuomo during the primary.
The teachers union is the city’s second largest with nearly 200,000 members, including about 60,000 retirees. District Council 37, the largest municipal union, endorsed City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, with Mamdani as its No. 2 choice.
“As a union, we have to protect public education, public employees, and public service from attacks from Washington, DC. We have to make New York City safer and more affordable for working- and middle-class families,” Mulgrew wrote in a statement. “We have to make the jobs of educators and nurses more attractive with better pay and benefits, and retain those already doing the work. We need a mayor who understands the task before us and who will help us get it done.”
Mamdani said he was honored to have the UFT’s support.
“Public education is under attack from [President Donald] Trump’s authoritarianism on the outside and an affordability crisis from the inside,” he said in a statement. “The need for a true fighter for New York City teachers and students has never been higher.”
The general election will be held Nov. 4. Mayor Eric Adams is planning to run as an independent, along with lawyer Jim Walden. Cuomo has not yet decided whether he’ll run. Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa is on the Republican ballot.
Amy Zimmer is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat New York. Contact Amy atazimmer@chalkbeat.org.
