Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) faces a test of her political influence after endorsing a progressive candidate in the New York City mayoral race.

Ocasio-Cortez backed New York state Assembly member Zohran Mamdani on Thursday, pitching him as the best chance to upset former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the front-runner since before he entered the race.

Her endorsement is sure to raise progressive hopes and give Mamdani a much-needed boost ahead of the June 24 primary. But it will also draw attention to the strength of her political clout as she positions herself as the next standard-bearer for the Democratic Party’s progressive wing and possibly the party as a whole.

“She represents a younger, newer generation of Democratic voters,” said New York Democratic strategist Basil Smikle, adding that the movement she’s led has been “more forward looking with respect to the party, not just locally but nationally.”

Observers of the Democratic primary for the mayor’s race have been eagerly awaiting news of Ocasio-Cortez's endorsement for weeks. Reports indicated that the Bronx-area congresswoman has methodically reviewed polling and pitches from various candidates on how they plan to defeat Cuomo, who has dominated in name ID and polling.

Among the more progressive candidates in the race, her support was coveted as one of the top leaders of the progressive wing since her own major upset win in 2018, making her the youngest woman elected to Congress.

She was also credited with significantly improving Maya Wiley’s chances of winning the Democratic nomination for mayor in 2021 as she gave an........

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