WASHINGTON

US House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries on Friday endorsed Zohran Mamdani for New York City mayor, hours before early voting begins in the city.

In a statement to the New York Times, Jeffries said that while he and Mamdani had “areas of principled disagreement,” Mamdani won “a free and fair election” in a Democratic primary and was “committed to being a mayor for all New Yorkers.”

“Zohran Mamdani has relentlessly focused on addressing the affordability crisis and explicitly committed to being a mayor for all New Yorkers, including those who do not support his candidacy,” he wrote.

“In that spirit, I support him and the entire citywide Democratic ticket in the general election.”

A new AARP–Gotham Polling & Analytics survey showed Mamdani leading the three-way race with 43%, ahead of former Gov. Andrew Cuomo at 29% and Republican Curtis Sliwa trailing. The poll indicates Mamdani’s lead would narrow to four points if Sliwa exited the race.

A compilation from The New York Times shows Mamdani winning in every survey where all three candidates are included. In head-to-head matchups between Mamdani and Cuomo, the former New York governor wins in just two of six tracked polls.

If Mamdani wins, he would become the first Muslim and first South Asian mayor of America's largest city. He previously defeated Cuomo for the Democratic nomination in June, winning by a significant seven-point margin.

Early voting is slated to begin Saturday, with Election Day set for Nov. 4.