Harold Ford Jr. Emphasizes He ‘Didn’t Vote For’ Mamdani, ‘This Will Be the Most Consequential Race that NYC Has Faced’

EXCERPT:

FORD JR.: “And in this instance, this young guy, who I didn’t vote for, I accept the outcome of this race, focused on the things we talk about around this table every once in a while, that Democrats ought to get back to, which is the affordability agenda. The question is, can he convince, Mr. Mamdani, can he convince voters between now -- and implicating the point that Tyrus is making, can he convince voters that giving away everything for free is the way to actually make their lives better? He proved in the primary that it was. Now, did he have — the toughest candidates in that race, I don’t know, I followed the race and I had my choice in the race. Eric Adams and him in the fall, I think this will be the most consequential race that New York City has faced, certainly in my 20 years living here, and I would argue over the last half-century, because of the direction this young man wants to take the city. And it’s incumbent upon Eric Adams, who will be on the ballot in the fall, to lay out a positive, tough-minded agenda for where the city is going to go and how he is going to achieve it. It's not going to be enough just to criticize this young man because they did that in this campaign and it didn’t work. You have to lay out where you want to take the city. And if he does that, if Eric Adams does it, then the city will have an opportunity to choose between the vision that Mr. Mamdani and the vision that Mr. Adams wants to pursue."