Democratic Socialist of America members — including New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez — should leave the Democratic Party and create their own, Rep. Tom Suozzi said.
“Zohran Mamdani and other Democratic Socialists should create their own party because I don’t want that in my party,” Suozzi, a Democrat, said of the far left policies on CBS New York’s “The Point” show with Marcia Kramer that aired Sunday.
Suozzi — whose third congressional district includes parts of Queens as well as Long Island — also said he hopes “he [Mamdani] doesn’t win” the mayoralty because “it will be bad for the Democratic Party.”
And he said House Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries should not endorse Mamdani, the party’s nominee for City Hall, because it will “be bad for the Democratic Party nationwide.”
Suozzi endorsed Andrew Cuomo in the June Democratic primary — but Mamdani handily defeated the former governor to cinch the party’s nomination.
The Queens assemblyman is now favored to win the mayoralty in a race that includes Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa and incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, Cuomo and lawyer Jim Walden, a trio running as independents.
Mamdani’s ascension, in particular, has been a headache for suburban Democrats in swing districts.
Republicans are using Mamdani as a club against Dems in upcoming elections, including in the Nassau County District Attorney’s race and are expected to do so in next year’s House midterm races should he win the mayoralty.
Mamdani is pushing for higher taxes on the wealthy to finance his plan to provide free buses and child care. He has been on record backing defunding the police, decriminalizing prostitution, advocating for “seizing the means of production” and boycotting Israel — positions that are not popular with many more moderate suburbanites and upstate residents.
“Capitalism has raised more people out of poverty than any other system in the history of the world. Create more innovation. Socialism has failed everywhere,” Suozzi said in the interview, which he even posted to his social media accounts.
Mamdani has distanced himself from some of his prior positions. For example, he now says he does not support slashing funding to the police.
Suozzi, through a spokesman, defended his comments.
“Congressman Suozzi stands by what he said to Marcia Kramer. He has been 100% clear. He does not think socialism works and Mamdani and the Democratic Socialists of America should form their own party,” said senior adviser Kim Devlin.
The DSA is a political organization, not an official party, and does have not have a ballot status. Most of its elected members are registered Democrats and caucus with the Democratic Party.
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