TAMMANY TIMES
Democrats

AOC Releases Endorsements for City Council

Nicholas Hutfilz
Nicholas Hutfilz
May 30, 2025 at 8:00 PM · 4 min read
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AOC Releases Endorsements for City Council
AOC backs nine city council candidates, no mayor yet | Matt Johnson from Omaha, Nebraska via Wikimedia Commons

Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has unveiled another round of endorsements for New York City Council candidates. The announcement came via a tweet from the @TeamAOC account.

"New York deserves a city council that works for the many, not the money — public servants who work for the interests of the people, not the powerful," her team stated. "We're proud to endorse these brawlers for the working class."

The latest endorsements from Ocasio-Cortez support a mix of candidates, including some running in open City Council races (where no current officeholder is seeking re-election) and several incumbents. For City Council District 13, she issued a ranked endorsement, advising voters on their first and second choices in New York's ranked-choice voting system.

The endorsements span candidates both within and outside of Ocasio-Cortez's own congressional district, NY-14.

Endorsements Partially or Entirely Inside NY-14:

  • City Council District 13: David Diaz (#1), Shirley Aldebol (#2)
  • City Council District 17: Justin Sanchez
  • City Council District 21: Erycka Montoya
  • City Council District 25: Shekar Krishnan

Other Endorsements (Outside NY-14):

  • City Council District 14: Pierina Sanchez
  • City Council District 36: Chi Ossé
  • City Council District 38: Alexa Avilés
  • City Council District 39: Shahana Hanif

With these endorsements out there, even more eyes will now be watching AOC for her mayoral endorsements. Online, progressive supporters have been increasingly urging the Congresswoman to make a pick in the mayoral race soon. Much of this energy is focused on Zohran Mamdani, a fast-rising progressive candidate.

A recent poll shows Mamdani trailing by only eight points. An endorsement from a prominent figure like Ocasio-Cortez could provide the kind of late-in-the-game boost his campaign might need to secure a victory in the upcoming Democratic primary.

Even in the comments section of the City Council endorsement announcement, supporters were calling for her to weigh in on the mayoral contest. However, Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez has not yet committed to making a mayoral endorsement, and it remains possible she will not.