Dem leaders need to take a stand on Mamdani

Democratic leaders who can’t see what kind of threat Zohran Mamdani’s candidacy is, not just to New York, but to their own party, don’t deserve to be in office.

That includes, most notably, Gov. Kathy Hochul, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

Mamdani is a rank antisemite. He’s an open socialist, who opposes the very economic system that made New York great: capitalism.

He’s pro-criminal and anti-cop. And barely has any credentials to qualify for a job as important as mayor.

How can these “leaders” even consider endorsing him? They ought to be shouting from the rooftops that he’s a dangerous choice — and not representative at all of the Democratic Party whatsoever.

Instead, they’re simply staying silent. What utter cowards.

On Sunday, former Gov. George Pataki slammed the three Dems, accusing them of “hiding in the weeds” by refusing to explicitly support or condemn the Democratic mayoral nominee.

He’s right. These politicians are trying to avoid ruffling feathers by refusing to voice any definitive opinions on Mamdani, even though he’s within spitting distance of City Hall.

Schumer and Jeffries both actually congratulated Mamdani after his win in June; Jeffries met with him last week and still refused to commit to a position, instead issuing corporate-HR-sounding pabulum that they discussed “important issues.” Talk about feckless.

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Hochul did vow to veto his disastrous tax hikes, but that’s because she’s running for reelection next year on “affordability” and New York is already the highest-taxing state in America.

But she’s mum on the rest of Mamdani’s catastrophically dumb agenda: like government-run groceries, free buses, a rent freeze . . .

And it’s not just Hochul, Jeffries and Schumer, either: Other New York heavyweights, like Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and Rep. Dan Goldman, are staying quiet.

They’re plainly hoping to keep from angering the activist class — but they’re risking alienating the sane moderates in their party: A recent I&I/TIPP poll showed that more than one-in-five Democrats believe their party has veered too far to the left.

It’s not like these lawmakers need more time to assess before committing; Mamdani could not be more clear on what he stands for. So what’s the hold up?

David Paterson, who once effectively headed New York’s Democratic Party when he was governor, had no qualms about urging voters to defeat the socialist. But then, he’s already done with political office.

Other Dems want to have their cake and eat it, too. But as the left likes to say, “silence is complicity.”

Make no mistake: If Mamdani wins, they’ll be just as responsible as those who hopped right onto his bandwagon.

It’s time to pick a side, Dems; either join Mamdani’s leftward lurch or call it out for what it is.

The time for fence-riding is over.