The first Jewish woman to win a NYC mayoral primary has a message for voters about Mamdani

[Nanjeanne]

Ruth Messinger, the trailblazing Jewish political leader who in 1997 became the first and only woman to win the Democratic nomination for New York City mayor, endorsed Zohran Mamdani on Monday. Her support came as the Democratic nominee launched his citywide “Five Boroughs Against Trump” tour in Manhattan, joined by Assemblyman Harvey Epstein and Rep. Jerry Nadler, co-chair of the Congressional Jewish Caucus, who had endorsed Mamdani after his primary victory.

In an interview, Messinger, 84, cited Mamdani’s focus on affordability and fighting authoritarianism as her reasons for backing him as an “incredibly refreshing alternative” to the current field of candidates.

SNIP

Messinger said that whoever is elected mayor would likely have strong opinions about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but it would not be their primary job.

“I’m comfortable with what I’ve heard him say,” she said. “I don’t know that we agree on every single issue. But with all due respect, I’m not electing him to be the ambassador to the Middle East.”

Messinger described Mamdani as someone sensitive to intolerance and a “capable” leader with a set of “thoughtful solutions” to address growing hate and antisemitism.

Read full statement in Jewish Forward https://forward.com/fast-forward/761860/zohran-mamdani-ruth-messinger-endorsement-nyc-mayor/]

[Prairie Gates]

1. Meanwhile, sore loser and serial sex offender Andrew Cuomo is going full Trumpy on socials

Supporting Cuomo or Adams is just embarrassing at this point. Supporting Sliwa is beyond embarrassing.

Unfortunately, there are even some sore loser supporters close to home.

[Nanjeanne]

2. It's all very odd to see people support crooks and abusers rather than the Democratic primary winner.

[Scrivener7]

3. I will admit that Mamdani would not have been my first choice, primarily because I

have many acquaintances and a few good friends in the Bronx who could very well be swept up in raids when Taco makes good on his promise to treat NYC like LA. I worried Mamdani would not, frankly, be as vicious as Cuomo in fighting that. (You can see from the Bronx support for Cuomo that I was not alone in that thought.) Having been a frequent recipient of workplace sexual harassment in the '80's and '90's, I know how bad it can be. But weighed against the ruination of those lives, I wanted to see the junkyard dog in that office.

HOWEVER, the voters have spoken. They could not have been more clear. So at this point, any Democrat not giving full-throated support to Mamdani needs to be criticized. Loudly.

My thought when I hear Democrats being mealy mouthed or negative about him, after THOSE primary results, is, "How dare they?"

[Nanjeanne]

5. Ok. Odd since Mamdani is very much on record as calling out Trump for his authoritarianism and was

Very vocal about standing up to him during the California ICE raids. Too bad those people you know in the Bronx didn’t research that more.

[Scrivener7]

6. Have a lovely day, Nanjeanne.

[Nanjeanne]

8. It is lovely here so I'm sure I will. Hope you have one too.

[yardwork]

4. It's unfortunate that the "uncommitted" movement happened in 2024.

The effect was to help Trump get elected and set a precedent for bad behavior.

I hope NYC voters support the Democratic primary winner but let's not pretend that the opposite hasn't happened, quite recently and to very bad effect.

I was fine with your OP but this post irritates me. Im sure it's irritating other people, too. Is the purpose to win elections or annoy people?

[Nanjeanne]

7. It irritates you to hear that is bothers me to see people support crooks and abusers. But

thanks for letting me know that my OP was fine but my post that supporters of Cuomo or Adam’s saddens me is a line too far.

[yardwork]

9. And that's not at all what I said.

My posts and your responses are right here for all to see.

When Rashida Tlaib told her constituents in Michigan - a must win state for Harris - NOT to vote for Harris, that was an outrage. It definitely helped Trump win the election.

Tlaib actively promoted the defeat of the Democratic candidate for president and the election of a convicted felon and sex abuser.

It happened. Don't pretend it didn't. Don't pretend that it's a new idea all of a sudden in NYC politics.

I will say again. People can only be pushed so far when confronted with blatant hypocrisy.

[Nanjeanne]

10. But it's all I said or posted about. The rest of what you said has nothing to do with my post that irritates you.

[yardwork]

11. "It's all very odd to see people support crooks and abusers rather than the Democratic primary winner."

Is it really that odd, Nanjeanne?

Seems like it happened very recently.

[Nanjeanne]

13. Yes. Supporting crooks and abusers is odd. Im sorry that people who had issues with the Gaza

War chose not to vote. I had major issues with it and was deeply disappointed in Harris and the DNC at the convention but I have never not voted so I cast my vote for the Dem as I always do. Uncommitted in the primary was a valid choice as an attempt to sway a candidate and I believe people’s choices are theirs to make and defend. But I still fail to see how one defends supporting a crook and an abuser is not odd.

Again you are responding to something I wasn’t bringing up. That’s your right of course but to conflate anti war voters with support of crooks and abusers isnt something I would do. Just not sure why it’s important to state your irritation in response to something I posted that has nothing to do with what you are objecting to. And the fact that my finding support of crooks and abusers is something that might irritate others here - well Im sure much of what I post irritates those same few and while it saddens me to see it be an important function of some - it certainly doesn’t ruin my day.

If I told some posters every time they posted that they irritated me I’d never get anything done. And I have much more annoying people to be irritated at other than anonymous posters on a message board.

Again, sorry I irritated you but try to enjoy the day any way.

[Just_Vote_Dem]

12. I had forgotten about that

As you said, that may have helped turned the tide for Trump. It was horrible for her to say that. There's no excuse for not supporting our candidate, particularly when the Pubs have gone off the deep end.

[JustAnotherGen]

20. I think it is going to come

Back to haunt the Democratic Party in the near future.

[JustAnotherGen]

19. People refuse

To believe that Tlaib is disregarded by Black Women in America for a reason.

This actually happened yardwork.

It happened. And you know what? We never have to get over it.

And if the dominant culture doesn't like it - they can go pound sand.

[Kid Berwyn]

14. I especially like the "fighting authoritarianism" part.

We used to do that all the time, before Putin’s Poodle.

[Trust_Reality]

15. Good for her. She makes sense.

[Martin68]

16. Good for Messinger!

[IronLionZion]

17. Liberal diverse NYC should have more women and minority candidates

In 1997 only the Bronx voted for Ruth Messinger over Rudy Giuliani.

[electric_blue68]

22. This Manhattanite voted for Ruth.

👍

Never Ghouliani!

[Quiet Em]

18. I like what she said.

A very wise woman.

[leftstreet]

21. DURec

[electric_blue68]

23. Ok, Messinger & Nadler. 👍

Jerry was my Rep decades ago.

[lame54]

24. Harvey Epstein?...

Is he also joining with Woody Cosby?

[Nanjeanne]

25. That would be fun. Instead it's a really wonderful progressive Jewish Assemblyman with a first and last name

sadly shared with abusive pigs. Maybe he can reclaim those names?