Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee for mayor of New York City, has proved to be wildly popular among voters. If only Democratic leaders could grasp that fact.

A recent poll from The New York Times and Siena University found that 46% of likely voters are planning to choose Mamdani on Election Day, breezing past the other candidates in the four-way race. Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo came in second with 24% support, followed by Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa with 15%. Mayor Eric Adams received the lowest amount of support in the poll with 9% of likely voters.

Despite this tangible support and visible public enthusiasm for Mamdani, Democratic leadership in the state is still hesitant to endorse the democratic socialist. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and Gov. Kathy Hochul have yet to endorse Mamdani.

By failing to do so, Democrats are once again failing to meet the moment and risk being behind the times – something that will hurt them as they try to rally the party for the 2026 midterm elections. Mamdani is clearly doing something right; it would be good for the Democratic Party to acknowledge that, even run with it.

Mamdani is giving Democrats a winning platform

The poll found that two things are working in Mamdani’s favor: his likability and his stances on issues they care about. Those two factors are areas where the Democrats need a boost.

According to the September poll, 52% of likely voters hold a favorable view of Mamdani, making him the only candidate to be perceived mostly positively by the voting population. A majority of voters surveyed also believe that Mamdani has good character, is inspirational and cares about people like them.

Compare this with polling of the Democratic Party overall – in July, a Wall Street Journal poll found that only 33% of voters have a favorable view of the Democratic Party.

The Times/Siena poll also found that likely voters believe Mamdani is the most equipped to tackle affordability and housing, two major issues for working-class voters. Again, these are areas where the Democratic Party has faltered in the past.

Mamdani is essentially giving them a winning platform for 2026, and it would be smart of party leadership to realize that. It’s not even like voters are convinced Mamdani will be able to achieve everything he wants to accomplish – 65% of voters don’t believe he will be able to implement all of his campaign promises. Even so, it’s the hope of these things and the unwavering beliefs he holds that are winning people over.

Some Democrats are making the right call

I’m not the only one feeling frustrated with the lack of Democratic support. At a Sept. 6 event for Mamdani supporters in Brooklyn, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, said that Democrats should be “jumping up and down” to support Mamdani after seeing his grassroots success, adding that we also have to fight for the future of the party.

Some Democrats are seeing the writing on the wall and responding accordingly. Rep. Pat Ryan formally endorsed Mamdani on Sept. 10, adding on X that Cuomo “is a selfish POS who only fights for himself and other corrupt elites.” Even Rep. Ritchie Torres, a moderate Democrat who has been a staunch supporter of Israel, defended the mayoral candidate over the summer, although he has stopped short of formally endorsing him.

Schumer and Jeffries need to throw their support behind Mamdani for the good of the national Democratic Party. Even if they disagree with the state assemblyman on certain issues, it’s clear that he has widespread public support on issues that affect the working class. If they ignore the movement that is coalescing around Mamdani, they risk further distancing themselves from their voters and hurting their chance of a 2026 comeback.

It’s time to fall in line behind Mamdani, or risk being left behind by their constituents.

Follow USA TODAY columnist Sara Pequeño on X, formerly Twitter: @sara__pequeno

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: It's time for Democrats to get behind Mamdani – or risk getting left behind | Opinion

Reporting by Sara Pequeño, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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