New York City’s Democratic mayoral nominee, Zohran Mamdani, traveled to Washington on Wednesday to court congressional support after his surprise primary victory over former governor Andrew Cuomo last month. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who backed him in the primary, hosted a two-hour breakfast at the National Democratic Club that drew several progressive lawmakers eager to hear the 33-year-old candidate’s plans for the nation’s largest city. After the closed-door session, Ocasio-Cortez said the goal was “to bring the party together and rally behind our nominee.” Participants included Reps. Jerrold Nadler, Pramila Jayapal and Nydia Velázquez, while moderates such as House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer did not attend. Both leaders, also from New York, have scheduled separate meetings with Mamdani later this week and have yet to issue endorsements. Mamdani also met with Sen. Bernie Sanders, another early backer. Sanders praised the campaign’s grassroots momentum and warned that “oligarchs are prepared to spend tens of millions to buy the election,” urging Democrats to unite behind the nominee. Mamdani called the meeting an honor and said he intends to keep the focus on affordability and working-class concerns. The Washington outreach underscores persistent tension within the party over Mamdani’s democratic-socialist platform and past criticism of Israel, which some Jewish voters and business groups view warily. Gov. Kathy Hochul said she could work with any winner but advised Mamdani to mend relations with the Jewish community before she considers an endorsement. Mamdani enters the November general election as the polling frontrunner against incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa and Cuomo, who is running as an independent. With national Democrats divided, the candidate is seeking to translate his primary momentum into broader party unity and financial backing for the fall campaign.