The Hotel and Gaming Trades Council and 32 BJ, two of the city’s most politically influenial private sector unions, have endorsed Zohran Mamdani for mayor, after initially backing Andrew Cuomo’s unsuccessful comeback campaign.
The move comes as Cuomo has yet to announce whether he’ll pursue a run on an independent line in November’s general mayoral election, and as Mamdani looks to pull together institutional backing as he faces Mayor Adams in the fall contest.
The unions’ support of Adams in the 2021 election was seen as crucial to his victory that year.
“This is a campaign for the working people of this city who deserve dignity on the job and neighborhoods they can afford,” Mamdani, a democratic socialist, said in a statement.
“That’s exactly who HTC and 32BJ fights and delivers for every single day, and I am honored to have their support as the Democratic nominee for Mayor of New York. Together, we will win a new day for the New Yorkers who keep this city running every single day.”
Rich Maroko, the president of HTC, said the union shares Mamdani’s affordability and quality of life priorities.
“We are confident that whenever we’re in a fight, Zohran will be on our side standing up for hospitality workers,” Maroko said. “That’s why we are genuinely excited to endorse Zohran and ready to help him win in November.”
That was a shift in tone for Maroko, who voiced concerns Tuesday night as early returns showed Mamdani beating Cuomo.
“Obviously that’s not ideal, but we’ll wait and see what the results show,” Maroko told the Daily News at Cuomo’s election night party as the first few ballot dumps came in.
32 BJ President Manny Pastreich said his union’s building worker members were ready to hit the streets on Mamdani’s behalf.
“Zohran Mamdani has united and inspired New Yorkers around a positive and optimistic vision for a truly affordable city,” Pastreich said in a statement. “He is ready and equipped to fight for our city and has made clear he is ready to stand up to attacks from the Trump administration.”
Both unions initially endorsed Cuomo’s mayoral run despite calling on him to resign as governor in 2021 amid sexual and professional misconduct accusations.
The unions’ switch to back Mamdani comes after he pulled off a stunning victory on primary day, prompting Cuomo to concede the race.
