Rep. Dan Goldman formally picked up the backing of former Comptroller Scott Stringer on Wednesday in his reelection bid against Brad Lander.
In an interview with the Daily News, Stringer praised Goldman, saying there’s “no rationale to run against him” and that the congressional seat was nothing but a “consolation prize” for Lander, his fellow former comptroller.
“You put your best fighter in place when it comes to protecting our democracy, when it comes to protecting people from ICE raids,” Stringer said. “This is not amateur hour.”
Goldman this week also collected the endorsement of current city Comptroller Mark Levine, and previously netted the endorsements of House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries and Gov. Hochul in his reelection fight against Lander.
The challenger, who unsuccessfully ran for mayor instead of reelection as comptroller, has the support of Mayor Mamdani and Public Advocate Jumaane Williams.
“Scott, who?” a spokesperson for the Lander campaign said in response to the endorsement, noting Stringer finished fifth in the mayoral primary last year.
The race for the 10th Congressional District, which spans lower Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn, follows a trend of contests pitting already left-leaning politicians versus more progressive candidates.
Lander and Goldman share many similarities, including being strong critics of the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement efforts, though Lander stands to the left of Goldman and the two differ on their stances on Israel. Lander is more critical of the Jewish state and has argued that Goldman’s support for Israel’s war in Gaza is out of step with the district’s constituents.
Goldman praised Stringer’s work as comptroller in a statement thanking him for his support.
“Scott has strengthened our city and improved the lives of so many New Yorkers,” Goldman said. “Scott’s decades of public service are admirable, and I deeply appreciate his support in this critical election.”
Mamdani reiterated his support for Lander’s candidacy on Tuesday, saying he continues “to be proud” of endorsing him.
“I think that he is exactly the kind of person who should continue to be a leader in this city,” the mayor said.
Stringer quipped that the Mamdani administration perhaps has an agency commissioner role available for Lander: “Surely, you could find something for Brad to do,” he said.
When Stringer ran for mayor in last year’s Democratic primary, Goldman backed state Sen. Zellnor Myrie.
