New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has been privately meeting with left-leaning labor union leaders as he pushes for a progressive candidate to seek the White House in 2028, according to Axios. His early maneuvering comes as Democrats begin looking toward their next presidential contest, as reported by The New York Post.

The Democratic Socialist wants progressives to capitalize on momentum following the midterm elections and assemble a far-left bloc against moderate Democratic candidates, sources close to the mayor told the outlet. Mamdani cannot run for president himself because he was born in Uganda.

One source who spoke directly with Mamdani described the mayor’s plan in blunt terms. Hizzoner “wants the progressive ecosystem to mobilize quickly, strategically and efficiently if a moderate candidate is clearly on the rise,” the source told Axios.

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That source compared the strategy to how former President Obama appeared to use his influence during the 2020 Democratic presidential contest. The source said Obama consolidated support for former President Joe Biden against Sen. Bernie Sanders.

Mamdani’s scramble also includes a striking private admission about Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, his close political ally and a leading young progressive voice on Capitol Hill. According to Axios, the mayor is not convinced that Ocasio-Cortez will make a White House bid.

The New York congresswoman’s decision remains unresolved, but Mamdani is already exploring other possibilities. Last month, he hosted Jimmy Williams Jr., president of the powerful International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, at Gracie Mansion to discuss the 2028 race.

During that meeting, the mayor asked Williams what would be required to secure an endorsement from his union, sources told Axios. Mamdani also asked whether Williams would consider running for the White House himself.

Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants-C.W.A., has also met recently with Mamdani. Their discussion included the coming presidential election as well as other issues, according to the report.

Mamdani additionally plans to speak soon with Shawn Fain, president of the United Automobile Workers. Williams, Nelson, and Fain are considered among the country’s most progressive labor leaders.

The mayor’s courtship of those labor figures follows his stunning upset over former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo last year. That victory gave Mamdani substantial political capital and pushed both him and his controversial leftist agenda onto the national stage.

Mamdani is now widely viewed as a potential kingmaker for the progressive branch of the Democratic Party. He has already demonstrated his willingness to use that growing influence in congressional races.

The mayor backed several candidates who will be heading to Washington following last week’s elections. His endorsed candidates included democratic socialists Claire Valdez and Darializa Avila Chevalier, along with former mayoral candidate Brad Lander.

The effort places Mamdani at the center of the progressive movement’s early search for a 2028 standard bearer. His reported conversations suggest he is looking well beyond the usual collection of professional politicians as he considers who could carry his platform.

Ocasio-Cortez has been rumored to be considering a Senate campaign instead of a presidential run. With her plans still up in the air, Mamdani has been exploring other prospective candidates, including the possibility that a labor leader could pursue the White House.

The mayor publicly framed an actual worker as a potentially powerful messenger for progressive politics. “Progressive ideas only win when working-class voters see themselves in the fight,” Mamdani told Axios.

He then made his preference even clearer. “There’s no better way to do that than to run an actual worker for president, not a professional politician.”

For now, Mamdani’s reported meetings place major progressive labor leaders squarely inside his planning for 2028. They also reveal that he is not simply waiting for Ocasio-Cortez to decide whether she wants to join the presidential race.