NYC Mayor ADAMS Transportation Official Ydanis Rodriguez Endorses Zohran Mamdai: Sources: Sources
City Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez, a longtime political ally of Mayor Adams, is expected to support Democratic front-runner Zohran Mamdani in the race for City Hall on Sunday, the Daily News has learned.
Rodriguez and a spokeswoman for Mamdani did not immediately respond to requests for comment. But two sources with direct knowledge said Rodriguez is expected to give his endorsement at a rally in Washington Heights with Mamdani that will also be attended by New York Congressman Adriano Espaillat, who also supports the Democratic mayoral candidate.
This approval – which follows early voting that began Saturday – is important for several reasons.
Only a few high-ranking Adams advisers have thrown their support behind the 2025 mayoral race since he abandoned his own re-election bid last month.
For the most part, all of these advisers, such as First Deputy Mayor Randy Mastro and Adams confidant Frank Carone, have thrown their support behind Mamdani’s primary opponent, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who is running as an independent.
Rodriguez, by supporting Mamdani, offers the Democratic candidate a credible breakthrough with the city’s large Hispanic communities.
A former City Council member, Rodriguez was instrumental in mobilizing support from Latinos, particularly from uptown Manhattan, for Adams’ successful 2021 mayoral bid.
Rodriguez’s nod also comes after Mamdani, in a recent interview with The News, would not rule out keeping Rodriguez as Department of Transportation commissioner if elected. During his tenure as head of the DOT, Rodriguez’s agency sometimes clashed with Adams City Hall over the need to expand the city’s bike and bus networks.
A spokesman for Adams, who ended his re-election effort last month when he was last in the polls, declined to comment Sunday on Rodriguez’s expected announcement. Adams appointed Rodriguez as DOT commissioner the same day he took office in January 2022, and Rodriguez has served in the position ever since.
Mamdani continues to be the heavy favorite to win the Nov. 4 election, which also includes Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa.
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