Mamdani says progressive can win 2028 as Harris courts New York mayor

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is positioning himself as an influential voice in the Democratic fight over the 2028 presidential nomination. Days after the midterm elections, he said a progressive candidate can win the White House. ¹

NBC's Kristen Welker asked Mamdani in an interview that aired Wednesday, Nov. 4, whether there is a path for a progressive candidate in 2028. He answered, "Absolutely." ¹

Midterm wins as evidence

Mamdani pointed to Democratic wins in Texas, Georgia and South Carolina. He named Texas Sen.-elect James Talarico and Georgia Gov.-elect Keisha Lance Bottoms among them. ¹

He said the struggles of Americans in cities like Atlanta and Allentown are not very different from those in Astoria, a neighborhood in his own city. He said Democrats have a mandate to act. ¹

From Channel GOPMamdani hails Abdul El-Sayed's election victoryZohran Mamdani · 289 plays · captioned, with the source named

Now is the time for us and the Democratic Party to deliver.

Not everyone agrees the election settled the question. Y. David Scharf, chairman of the law firm Morrison Cohen LLP, told Fox News Digital that "One good night doesn't make a mandate, not for progressives and frankly not for anybody." ¹

Hopefuls are already calling

Mamdani has not endorsed anyone for 2028. But potential candidates are reaching out to him. Fox News reported in July that former Vice President Kamala Harris had phoned him. ²

Mamdani confirmed the call on SiriusXM's "The Clay Cane Show." He said, "The vice president reached out to have a conversation, and we've had a brief conversation." He also said the two had been in touch for months. ²

The same report said Harris met privately with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and held closed-door meetings with progressive groups. The report described this as an effort to win back parts of the party that did not back her in 2024. ²

Harris has not announced a run. At an April convention of the National Action Network, a civil rights group, she said of a 2028 bid, "I might. I might. I'm thinking about it… I'll keep you posted." ²

The vice president reached out to have a conversation, and we've had a brief conversation.

What happens next

No 2028 candidate has launched a campaign, so the jockeying is happening mostly out of public view. Mamdani's own words suggest he will judge candidates by how well they take on cost-of-living and related issues. ¹

That matters because the party's left and center now have to work out what the midterm wins mean. Republican officials are watching. Republican National Committee Chairman Joe Gruters said of Democrats, "They're in the death spiral, because now they have these people inside their tent." That is his characterization. The election results were not a death spiral for Democrats. ²

Mamdani also said he would support congressional action on costs and corruption. He said he was unsure whether impeaching President Trump was part of Democrats' plans. ¹

The Record

1. Apr 1, 2026Kamala Harris said of a 2028 bid at a National Action Network convention: 'I might. I might. I'm thinking about it' ²
2. Jul 1, 2026Fox News reported Harris had phoned Mamdani, and he confirmed the call on SiriusXM ²
3. Nov 4, 2026Mamdani told NBC's Kristen Welker there is 'Absolutely' a path for a progressive in 2028 ¹

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<h2>Mamdani says progressive can win 2028 as Harris courts New York mayor</h2> <p><em>By The GOP Files Campaign Desk. This article first appeared on <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/mamdani-says-progressive-can-win-2028-as-harris-courts-new-york-mayor">The GOP Files</a> on Sunday, November 8, 2026.</em></p> <p>New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is positioning himself as an influential voice in the Democratic fight over the 2028 presidential nomination. Days after the midterm elections, he said a progressive candidate can win the White House.</p> <p>NBC&#39;s Kristen Welker asked Mamdani in an interview that aired Wednesday, Nov. 4, whether there is a path for a progressive candidate in 2028. He answered, &quot;Absolutely.&quot;</p> <h2>Midterm wins as evidence</h2> <p>Mamdani pointed to Democratic wins in Texas, Georgia and South Carolina. He named Texas Sen.-elect James Talarico and Georgia Gov.-elect Keisha Lance Bottoms among them.</p> <p>He said the struggles of Americans in cities like Atlanta and Allentown are not very different from those in Astoria, a neighborhood in his own city. He said Democrats have a mandate to act.</p> <blockquote><p>Now is the time for us and the Democratic Party to deliver.</p><p>&mdash; Zohran Mamdani, Mayor of New York City, Democrat</p></blockquote> <p>Not everyone agrees the election settled the question. Y. David Scharf, chairman of the law firm Morrison Cohen LLP, told Fox News Digital that &quot;One good night doesn&#39;t make a mandate, not for progressives and frankly not for anybody.&quot;</p> <h2>Hopefuls are already calling</h2> <p>Mamdani has not endorsed anyone for 2028. But potential candidates are reaching out to him. Fox News reported in July that former Vice President Kamala Harris had phoned him.</p> <p>Mamdani confirmed the call on SiriusXM&#39;s &quot;The Clay Cane Show.&quot; He said, &quot;The vice president reached out to have a conversation, and we&#39;ve had a brief conversation.&quot; He also said the two had been in touch for months.</p> <p>The same report said Harris met privately with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and held closed-door meetings with progressive groups. The report described this as an effort to win back parts of the party that did not back her in 2024.</p> <p>Harris has not announced a run. At an April convention of the National Action Network, a civil rights group, she said of a 2028 bid, &quot;I might. I might. I&#39;m thinking about it… I&#39;ll keep you posted.&quot;</p> <blockquote><p>The vice president reached out to have a conversation, and we&#39;ve had a brief conversation.</p><p>&mdash; Zohran Mamdani, Mayor of New York City, Democrat</p></blockquote> <h2>What happens next</h2> <p>No 2028 candidate has launched a campaign, so the jockeying is happening mostly out of public view. Mamdani&#39;s own words suggest he will judge candidates by how well they take on cost-of-living and related issues.</p> <p>That matters because the party&#39;s left and center now have to work out what the midterm wins mean. Republican officials are watching. Republican National Committee Chairman Joe Gruters said of Democrats, &quot;They&#39;re in the death spiral, because now they have these people inside their tent.&quot; That is his characterization. The election results were not a death spiral for Democrats.</p> <p>Mamdani also said he would support congressional action on costs and corruption. He said he was unsure whether impeaching President Trump was part of Democrats&#39; plans.</p> <p><em>Read the original, with every source linked, at <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/mamdani-says-progressive-can-win-2028-as-harris-courts-new-york-mayor">thegopfiles.com</a>. Republished under The GOP Files' <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/republish">free republishing terms</a>.</em></p> <img src="https://thegopfiles.com/api/rp/mamdani-says-progressive-can-win-2028-as-harris-courts-new-york-mayor.gif" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border:0;width:1px;height:1px">

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Sources

1. Fox News, “Mamdani confident there's a path for a progressive candidate to the White House in 2028” (2026-11-05). foxnews.com/media/mamdani-confident-path-progressive-candida
2. Fox News, “Harris reaches out to socialist mayor Mamdani in latest sign she's shoring up support for possible 2028 bid” (2026-07-01). foxnews.com/politics/harris-reaches-out-socialist-mayor-mamd

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