Mamdani Defies His Party Just as Donald Trump Did, a union leader says
A top New York City labor leader says mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani is succeeding for the same reason President Donald Trump has succeeded: 'In the eyes of working people, he is the antidote to what has plagued his party."
This is according to John Samuelsen, president of the Transport Workers Union and former president of TWU Local 100, the historic local that represents New York City subway and bus workers.
'This is about working people with establishment fatigue, exhausted with same old, same old, corporate Democrats and Republicans catering to corporate interests,' Samuelsen told me in an interview.
'Zohran smashed establishment Democrats,' Samuelsen said. 'He talks about economic security and affordability for working people. He focused on economics. Trump did the same thing in 2016: Now it's ten years later and Democrats still have not learned the lesson. Imagine how desolate the Democrats are that a Democrat running on affordability is an anti-establishment Democrat. That's nuts. But Zohran learned the lesson.'
TWU has not endorsed Mamdani. However, Samuelsen backs Mamdani's plan for free bus service. 'I've spoken to him at length about his positions on public transit, as far back as four years ago,' Samuelsen said. 'His discussions with TWU have shaped his vision for public transit. That separates him from the crowd: he has the humility to come and speak with the union.'
Mamdani was elected to the state assembly in 2020. He championed a 2023 pilot program to test free busses on five NYC routes.
Unlike TWU, the New York City Central Labor Council, a coalition of over 300 unions, endorsed Mamdani on June 30 following his victory in the June 25th Democratic primary.
'As a coalition of more than 300 unions representing over one million workers, the NYC CLC's endorsement carries the collective strength of the city's labor movement and reaffirms our shared commitment to electing leaders who will fight alongside working people,' the council said in a press release.
Regarding a TWU endorsement, Samuelsen noted that he has relationships with all three mayor candidates. TWU has about 48,000 members in New York City, including 42,000 members of Local 100 and about 6,000 flight attendants at JetBlue. Nationally, TWU has about 161,000 members and is the largest airline union, with members at American, JetBlue, Southwest and others.
First elected president of Local 100 in 2009, Samuelsen served two terms before being elected TWU international president in 2017. He has ongoing relationships with Mayor Eric Adams and former Governor Andrew Cuomo.
On Tuesday, Adams won the backing of a dozen city unions – nearly all the city police, corrections and sanitation unions, but not the Police Benovolent Association, the largest police union.
Adams 'is a working-class guy from the streets of New York who has support among our membership,' Samuelsen said. 'He took crime in the transit system, subway and bus, very seriously. There is a level of appreciation from our membership and from the officers of the TWU. He's not perfect. Nobody's perfect.'
Adams' website cites significant economic and public safety improvements during his term. They include a record number of city jobs, contracts with 100% of the city's uniformed workforce, a 7.3% drop in homicides and 6.8% drop in shootings in 2024 and the removal of more than 20,000 illegal guns from city streets.
Cuomo said Monday that he will run as a third-party candidate. Samuelsen said Cuomo betrayed TWU workers when he committed to a bill that includes overtime earnings in pension calculations, then vetoed it. In a video released Monday, Cuomo told supporters, 'I am truly sorry I let you down.' He noted that 'Only 13% of New Yorkers voted in the June primary,' cited economic issues he wanted to focus on, and said he would listen more to city residents. He also added that Mamdani offers slick slogans without practical solutions.
Union workers may disagree. Samuelsen said that, like Adams, Mamdani has support within Local 100. In upcoming subway contract talks, 'We don't bargain with the city, but I think he would be supportive of the TWU in our contract fight and our fight to keep conductors on the trains,' Samuelsen said.
Other unions appear similiarly swayed by the upcoming Democrat. The United Auto Workers released a statement in June saying: 'We were proud to be the first union to endorse Zohran because it's time for a political movement that puts the working class first. Our members spoke out and turned out in a big way — and we're just getting started.'
Likewise, the UAW praised the Trump administration in March for addressing the 'harmful economic framework that has devastated the working class.' While responses to the tariff negotiations are ongoing, it's clear that many unions see policies that impact wages and cost of living as an urgent priority. In contrast, the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA issued a statement in March claiming the Trump administration was attacking workers' rights, but that particular union has not been as vocal about the New York City mayoral election so far. Mamdani still has the opportunity to win endorsements from even more unions related to transportation.
'He is focused on affordability," Samuelsen said. "If he effectuates his campaign agenda, it will look great for Democrats in the rest of the country. But on the policing side, if New York spins out of control, that negates the affordability.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
15 minutes ago
- New York Post
NY Republicans tie Dem opponents to Zohran Mamdani: 'They're Mamdani Democrats!'
Gleeful Republicans will make socialist Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani a key campaign issue as they pound 'Mamdani Democrats' running for election across the state, party insiders said. GOP officials will tie Mamdani to Democrat candidates from Long Island to upstate, with the idea the party will answer for the nomination in more moderate areas such as Staten Island, Nassau and Suffolk — and even places like Binghamton, The Post has learned. 'If there was ever any doubt that our city is headed in the wrong direction, this past Democratic mayoral primary election gave people their answer,' Staten Island Republican chairman Michael Tannousis said, noting Mamdani will be a campaign point even in judge races. 3 Republican candidates across New York state will attempt to tie their opponents to New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, party insiders told The Post. Getty Images 'Zohran Mamdani is the official nominee of the Staten Island Democratic Party,' he added. 'In November, Staten Island voters will have a choice: whether they will vote for Zohran Mamdani's socialist Democratic Party or the Republican candidates they trust.' Republican nominee Remy Smith, a Housing Court judge, was set to kick off her campaign Sunday against Democrat attorney Matthew Santamauro for a civil court seat on the island. Tannousis said that the Democrat is running on 'the Mamdani ticket.' Mamdani's name will 'absolutely' be used as a weapon against Democrats in Suffolk County, where Republican District Attorney Ray Tierney is up for re-election and 18 county legislative seats are up for grabs, the GOP chairman said. 'The Democratic Party has anointed a communist as the face of the party,' party chairman Jesse Garcia said. 'hey've embraced his policy of defunding the police, antisemitism and higher taxes. Not one Democrat in Suffolk County has denounced Mamdani. 'Our policies are more in tune with Suffolk voters,' Garcia claimed. 'We are going to compare our Republican candidates' records of making Suffolk safer and affordable compared to the Mamdani Democrats' that advocate communism, loss of property rights, antisemitic views, higher taxes and defund the police.' 3 New York Republicans hope that Mamdani will hurt Democrats in more moderate areas like Long Island or upstate. Paul Martinka Mamdani identifies himself as a democratic socialist but he has come under fire for declaring in a resurfaced clip that one of his goals is 'seizing the means of production' — which critics note reeks of the approach of communist regimes. Meanwhile, Republicans in Nassau County will claim that Democrats there share the 'dangerous and reckless Mamdani agenda,' said Nassau GOP chairman Joe Cairo. There are dozens of county, town and village seats up for election in November. The headliner countywide races include Republicans seeking re-election — County Executive Bruce Blakeman Bruce Blakeman, DA Anne Donnelly and Comptroller Elaine Phillips. Cairo called Mamdani and extreme socialist who will destroy the city's economy and make 'Gotham a lawless haven for criminals.' 'Sadly, Zohran Mamdani shares more than a political party line with his Long Island Democrats – he shares a corrosive and dangerous agenda that embraces defunding the police, cashless bail, closing jails, and soaring taxes,' Cairo said. 'Every Nassau County Republican candidate on the ballot — from county legislators to town supervisors – stand firmly against the out-of-touch priorities of Zohran Mamdani and the Democrat candidates in Nassau County who clearly share the dangerous and reckless Mamdani Agenda.' Mamdani's earth-shattering election win in last month's crowded Democratic primary has made him the immediate frontrunner to become New York's next mayor — but the win has not gone unnoticed by upstate Republicans, either. 'We will be ready to strike once voters are educated about Zohran Mamdani. Mamdani is out of touch with the voters here,' said Broome County Republican Party Benji Federman, which includes the city of Binghamton. Binghamton Republican Mayor Jared Kraham is running for re-election in the Democratic-leaning city against Miles Burnett. Start and end your day informed with our newsletters Morning Report and Evening Update: Your source for today's top stories Thanks for signing up! Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Never miss a story. Check out more newsletters The upstate city is part of the economically struggling Southern Tier that borders Pennsylvania and higher taxes that Mamdani is proposing for the Big Apple are out of sync with the region, the GOP leader said. Federman said he even has liberal friends in Williamsburg, Brooklyn who are terrified of a Mamdani mayoralty. 'Proposals to raise corporate taxes and taxes on the rich are not popular in Williamsburg and not popular in the Southern Tier,' he said. 3 The Post's coverage of Mamdani's meeting with city business leaders. State Democratic Party chairman Jay Jacobs said the GOP scare tactics of trying to make Mamdani the bogeyman won't work, especially when they have to defend President Trump's hardline policies. 'Typical Republican distraction. Should we tie every Nassau Republican to that nut, Marjorie Taylor Green [Georgia congresswoman] or the assorted antisemites that Trump regularly socializes with?' said Jacobs, also the Nassau County Democratic leader. 'We will do fine just tying them to that Big Ugly Bill that will cause health insurance rates to go through the roof,' added Jacobs, referring to the tax and spending bill approved by Trump and the Republican-led Congress. Jacobs has not endorsed Mamdani. Neither have Senate Democratic Minority leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, both Brooklynites. Mamdani, who is vacationing in his native Uganda, will face Republican Curtis Sliwa and three independents in the November election. Current Mayor Eric Adams, ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo and attorney Jim Walden will each appear on city election ballots on minor party lines. The Mamdani campaign had no immediate comment.
The Hill
an hour ago
- The Hill
Khanna says Democrats pushed for Epstein files' release since 2019
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) said Sunday that there have been Democrats pushing for the release of files related to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein since 2019. In an interview on ABC News's 'This Week,' Khanna pushed back on the suggestion that his party only began calling for the documents to be released recently — now that the issue is politically fraught for President Trump. 'Why are Democrats suddenly interested in the Epstein case?' ABC News's Jonathan Karl asked the California Democrat. 'I mean, did you ask the Biden Justice Department to release these files?' 'It's not a sudden interest. Actually, the former chair, Elijah Cummings, had an investigation starting in 2019,' Khanna said, referring to the late civil rights activist and Maryland Democratic House member, who chaired the House Oversight and Reform Committee at the time. 'And I have tweeted out supporting that, back in 2019,' Khanna added. 'We have been pushing for transparency. During the Biden administration, both in 2021 and 2024, the court ordered release of documents.' Khanna acknowledged the heightened scrutiny on the case in recent months. 'But Donald Trump raised the stakes,' Khanna said. 'And he did it in a way in the campaign that was justified. He said, look, when I get there, I'm going to release the files. Pam Bondi says there's a client list. Then she says, no, it's just a file. She's going to release them.' 'I didn't criticize them at all those first few months,' Khanna continued. 'But when they refused to release the files — when they said there's nothing more to see — that's when we said transparency demands the full release of the files.' Khanna has been a leading Democrat in Congress calling for Epstein files to be released, and he is co-sponsoring a bill with Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) that would force the release of the files.
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
90 prosecutors quit Nassau County DA's Office over claims of incumbent's ‘dictator' leadership: ‘No longer about justice'
About 90 prosecutors have quit the Nassau County District Attorney's Office since Anne Donnelly took it over in 2022, says her political challenger — who left the job herself, citing a 'dictator'-like atmosphere. Nicole Aloise, a Democrat running against the GOP incumbent Donnelly for DA, called out her opponent Friday outside the county courthouse in Mineola, LI — accusing Donnelly of fostering a toxic work culture focused more on headlines than justice. 'I left the Nassau DAs office after truly believing I would be there for life,' said Aloise, who quit there in 2023. 'I loved serving the community, ensuring that victims were heard and perpetrators were brought to justice. 6 Nicole Aloise, a Democrat running against the GOP incumbent Anne Donnelly for DA, accused Donnelly of fostering a toxic work culture. Nicole Aloise/Instagram 'Once Anne Donnelly took office — the job changed — it was no longer about justice, it was about her own agenda.' Donnelly's camp fired back by calling her political foe and the other former assistant district attorneys 'ethically challenged, soft-on-crime prosecutors like Nicole Aloise.' Aloise said she was one of the roughly 90 prosecutors in the office pushed to quit their jobs under Donnelly, claiming one of the reasons she left is because she was denied the resources she requested to try to expand a murder prosecution into a larger conspiracy case. 6 'Once Anne Donnelly took office — the job changed — it was no longer about justice, it was about her own agenda,' Aloise said. Nicole Aloise/Instagram 6 Aloise said she was one of the roughly 90 prosecutors in the office pushed to quit their jobs under Donnelly. Dennis A. Clark Some of the other former prosecutors said the alleged internal dismal culture shift under Donnelly also drove them out. They wrote to Aloise sharing similar accounts, including breakdowns in collaboration, shrinking support for long-term investigations and what they saw as a growing focus on politics over prosecution. 'You can either treat us like s–t or pay us like s–t, you can't do both — Donnelly did,' a former prosecutor told The Post under the promise of anonymity. 6 'You can either treat us like s–t or pay us like s–t, you can't do both — Donnelly did,' a former prosecutor told The Post under the promise of anonymity. Dennis A. Clark Aloise also cited a 44% spike in basic crimes during Donnelly's first two years in office — the highest level since 2013 — and attacked the DA for having the office's lowest felony conviction rate since 2014. County officials have touted a 25% drop in major crimes at the start of 2025, but Aloise argued that short-term improvements don't erase what she called a breakdown in leadership and the long-term damage to the justice system. But some local authorities blame the previous jump in crime and drop in convictions on former President Joe Biden's border policies and New York's 'soft-on-crime' laws, even going as far as previously calling Dem Gov. Kathy Hochul and her political party 'pro-criminal.' 6 Donnelly's camp called Aloise and the other former assistant district attorneys 'ethically challenged, soft-on-crime prosecutors.' Dennis A. Clark Donnelly's office contended that the prosecutors who quit their assistant district attorney posts also fit that description — and it said good riddance, framing their departures as a purge. 'The only exodus of attorneys, thankfully, have been by ethically challenged, soft-on-crime prosecutors like Nicole Aloise,' DA spokesman Mike Deery told The Post. 'Under District Attorney Anne Donnelly's watch, Nassau has been recognized as the safest community in the USA,' he said. 'The only exodus of attorneys, thankfully, has been by ethically challenged, soft-on-crime prosecutors like Nicole Aloise.' 6 According to DA spokesman Mike Deery, Donnelly is focused on rebuilding the office with prosecutors who support her tough-on-crime approach. Dennis A. Clark Deery said his boss has been focused on rebuilding the office with prosecutors who support her tough-on-crime approach and restoring public trust. He said Aloise has been previously accused of 'unethical conduct, corruption and abuse of power' after a group of law professors filed a formal ethics complaint in 2021 accusing her of prosecutorial misconduct during her time as an ADA in Queens over her father, Justice Michael Aloise. The complaint was eventually dismissed, according to a state letter obtained by The Post. Aloise's camp told The Post in a statement, 'If Anne Donnelly was a competent District Attorney and actually believed she had that many unethical employees, she'd have fired them rather than watch them flee her office en masse. 'Facts matter,' the statement said, pointing out that the stats used to determine Nassau County as the safest in the country are from 2014 and 2016 — before Donnelly took office.
