Mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani received a major boost Wednesday as the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) formally endorsed his campaign, marking a turning point in the race for City Hall. Mamdani joined UFT President Michael Mulgrew and union members in a morning event to discuss the endorsement and outline his education policy priorities.

The influential 200,000-member union cited Mamdani’s commitment to protecting premium-free health care for educators and his pledge to overhaul the mayoral control system of public schools as key reasons for its support.

In a statement, Mulgrew said, “New York City needs a mayor who understands the task before us—someone who will defend public education, public employees, and essential public services from political attacks coming out of Washington. Zohran Mamdani is that leader.”

The endorsement is significant, as the UFT had previously withheld support from any candidate in the primary. Mamdani’s campaign now has the backing of one of the city’s largest and most politically active unions heading into the final weeks of the election.

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has continued to target Mamdani with increasingly aggressive rhetoric. On Tuesday, he warned of a potential federal takeover of New York City should Mamdani win.

“If a communist gets elected to run New York, it can never be the same,” Trump said. “We have tremendous power at the White House to run places when we have to. New York City will run properly—we’re going to bring New York back.”

Mamdani’s campaign fired back with a sharp rebuke, saying in a statement: “Donald Trump once again treats democracy like a suggestion, insulting the over half a million New Yorkers who support Zohran Mamdani’s vision for an affordable, inclusive city.”

Governor Kathy Hochul also weighed in, tweeting: “Voters decide who runs New York City. Not Washington, and certainly not wannabe kings.”

Trump has recently escalated his threats, including suggesting that Mamdani could be arrested or deported if he obstructs Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in the city.

Elsewhere in the race, Mayor Eric Adams—now running on an independent ticket—claimed former Governor Andrew Cuomo urged him to withdraw.

“He caved to the far left on bail reform and other issues, and now he’s telling me to step aside?” Adams said. “That’s the highest level of arrogance I’ve ever seen.”

As the race heats up, Mamdani’s endorsement from the UFT positions him as a formidable contender backed by organized labor, even as he becomes the central target of national political attacks.