Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, the senior senator from New York, on Nov. 4 declined to say who he voted for in the closely watched New York City mayoral race.

When asked at a press conference at the U.S. Capitol whether he voted for Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani or Andrew Cuomo − the former Democratic governor running as an independent − Schumer simply said he voted.

"Look, I voted and I look forward to working with the next mayor to help New York City,” he told reporters at a weekly news conference discussing the ongoing government shutdown.

Schumer’s comments came on Election Day as New Yorkers were turning out in record numbers to cast their ballots in the historic election.

Some moderate Democrats were slow to coalesce behind Mamdani, a 34-year-old democratic socialist and state Assembly member, after his stunning win in the June primary. Mamdani beat out a field of more experienced candidates, including Cuomo, the three-term former New York governor who has sought to revive his political career after resigning in disgrace.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-New York, made a last-minute endorsement of Mamdani in October. Schumer last week told reporters that he has “a good relationship” with Mamdani but also declined to offer an official endorsement of the candidate.

Mamdani, who has led in the polls, would be the first Muslim mayor and first Asian American mayor of the nation's largest city if he wins.

Some Republican lawmakers have made Mamdani an attack line in their criticism of Jeffries and Schumer amid the shutdown, trying to pin the impasse on pressure from the Democrats' left flank.

Contributing: Eduardo Cuevas, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Schumer won't say whether he voted for Mamdani in NYC election

Reporting by Rebecca Morin, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect