1. United States
2. N.Y.
3. Letter

It has been a full week since Zohran Mamdani won the Democratic nomination for mayor of NYC. After seven full days, you have refused to endorse and back his campaign. Your consituents voted for him, and you hold your seat to represent the people. Your continued failure to represent the people shows us that you no longer deserve your positions. Young voters showed up in record numbers. Older politicians refuse to understand us. We are constantly dismissed and waved off. We are living paycheck to paycheck on six digit salaries. We can't own homes. We're entering another needless war. Zohran is the only candidate that has given us something to vote for. How is it that the party of identity politics can turn a blind eye so effortlessly when it comes to a millennial Muslim liberal? If representatives said "this is the end of western civilization!", implied terrorist connections to 9/11, commented on religious law, tweeted a doctored photo of the Statue of Liberty in a burqa; the president is calling for his arrest, denaturalization, and deportation. If this were directed towards a Jewish candidate heads would be rolling and there would be absolute outrage. There would be vehement calls for resignation. There would be violence. But with regard to a young Muslim man, you remain silent. You allow republicans and the president to attack and call him names. You've said nothing in response to the death threats he's received, and worse yet- Sen Gillibrand implied his involvement with Hamas on Brian Lehrer, and Hakeem Jeffries described the tenets of Zohran's campaign but when pressed for his endorsement, he can't endorse because "I don't know him". Democrats try to spread a message of acceptance and love and justice, but that's only relative to republicans because the second a candidate steps in and wants to actually realize what democrats say they want, he's dangerous. We see through your facade and that you're only interested in protecting your pockets. I urge you to condemn blatant racism and Islamophobia, and demand you stop sabotaging not only his candidacy but what NYC democrats voted for. We are watching and we are voting in solidarity. The game you're playing is what gave us Donald Trump, it's what is turning us over into a fascist authoritarian state. Condemn the hate speech and death threats against Mamdani, and rally your support behind him with your endorsement.