Brooklyn Congressman Hakeem Jeffries threw his support to Maya Wiley in her bid to become the next mayor of New York City during a press conference in Brooklyn on Sunday.
Jeffries believes that Wiley, a civil rights attorney and alumna of the de Blasio Administration, is best positioned to help New York City overcome the COVID-19 pandemic and bring about systemic change in city government.
“This is a change election and Maya Wiley is a change candidate,” Jeffries said. “It’s time to send a brilliant and compassionate mom to City Hall to clean up the mess left behind by the pandemic.”
It’s one of the biggest endorsements, to date, that Wiley has received in her campaign. Jeffries, who was first elected to Capitol Hill in 2013, chairs the House Democratic Caucus, and is the fourth-highest ranking Democrat in the chamber.
“Congressmember Jeffries has been a bold, transformative leader his entire career who has always fought for the people who need it most, and I am truly honored to have his endorsement,” Wiley said. “New York can’t just recover from our crisis. We need to come back better and more fair than before. As mayor, I will fight to make sure that recovery reaches the neighborhoods that need it most.”
Two other members of the New York Congressional delegation have previously endorsed Wiley’s bid for mayor — including Manhattan/Brooklyn/Queens Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez and Brooklyn Congresswoman Yvette Clarke.
Wiley has made combating racial inequality in the city a hallmark of her campaign. Her “New Deal New York” plan includes proposals to create 100,000 jobs while also boosting small businesses; providing universal community care grants and a combating maternal mortality.
She has also proposed a public safety plan that would provide greater public oversight over the NYPD and combat economic inequalities that contribute to crime.
