‘I endorse the Democrat in the race’

Former Vice President Kamala Harris offered only a mild endorsement of New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani in an interview on MSNBC’s “The Rachel Maddow Show” on Monday, comments that come as other prominent Democrats have been slow to embrace the progressive state lawmaker’s candidacy.

“Look, as far as I’m concerned, he’s the Democratic nominee and he should be supported,” Harris said when asked about her thoughts on Mamdani and why some in the party have been slow to back him.

Asked whether she endorsed Mamdani, she offered a tepid response before turning to other up-and-coming names in the party.

“I support the Democrat in the race, sure. But let me just say this: He’s not the only star,” Harris said, going on to highlight Democrats running for mayor in cities across the country.

“So I hope that we don’t so over-index on New York City that we lose sight of the stars throughout our country who are right now running for mayor and many other offices, governor and so on,” Harris said. “So that’s where I am. We got a big tent and we got a lot of stars.”

Harris’ lukewarm endorsement of the 33-year-old self-described democratic socialist comes as the Democratic party — and younger voters in particular — have wrestled with the prospect generational change among aging lawmakers and as the party struggles to counter Republican control of Washington.

Mamdani’s surprise primary victory ignited a national conversation about the direction of the Democratic party, which hit an all-time low in an NBC News popularity poll this year.

Several top Democrats have held off on endorsing Mamdani. Last week, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and state Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie endorsed Mamdani. But, notably, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, both New Yorkers, have not yet given him their backing.

Some Democrats have criticized the non-endorsements, arguing that the party has to support its own candidate.

“It is hard for me to understand how the Democratic leadership is not supporting the candidate who won the Democratic primary,” Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., previously told NBC News.

Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., has reportedly referred to the non-endorsements as “spineless politics.”

Harris announced in July that she would not run for governor of her state, a move that leaves the door open for a potential presidential run in 2028. In her new book “107 Days,” she detailed her decision to not push on President Joe Biden to drop out of the presidential race after a disastrous debate performance ignited a national conversation about aging politicians.

“During all those months of growing panic, should I have told Joe to consider not running?” she said in the book. “Perhaps.”

Asked during Monday’s interview whether she believed Democrats were justified in their frustration over older politicians in office, and whether the older politicians should consider retirement, Harris said she “wouldn’t overgeneralize on that.”

She continued, “there are some Democrats who are older in age, but very young in terms of how they are thinking and very bold in terms of how they are thinking.”

“I don’t know that the voters are going to judge strictly on somebody’s age,” she added later.