New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Wednesday rejected House Speaker Mike Johnson's criticism following Abdul El-Sayed's victory in Michigan's Democratic US Senate primary, arguing that Johnson's Republican Party is "out of touch" with working-class voters.
Speaking to reporters, Mamdani said he assumed Johnson's comments were a response to El-Sayed's primary win and went on to congratulate the Democratic nominee.
"He ran a campaign where it was best described by his words of 'money out of politics, money in your pocket, Medicare for all'," said the mayor.
"And if those simple commitments and beliefs are what drives Representative Johnson to these kinds of conclusions, I think it shows you how deeply out of touch the Republican Party is with the concerns of working-class Americans."
Responding to Johnson's reference to so-called "mini Mamdanis," Mamdani downplayed any comparison between himself and El-Sayed.
"I have had the privilege of speaking to Abdul El-Sayed a few times," Mamdani said. "What I will say, and this was years ago, once when he came to New York City, he can lift a lot more than I can, and I think that we should give him his respect in that way. I don't think in any way this man is a mini Mamdani."
Asked whether he planned to endorse El-Sayed or campaign for him in Michigan, Mamdani said his priority remains local governance.
"My focus thus far has been on New York City," he said. "I know that many New Yorkers were incredibly excited at the result ... I do wish him the best."
Johnson earlier framed El-Sayed's victory as evidence of what he described as a broader ideological shift within the Democratic Party.
"There is an urgent question facing America," Johnson said. "Are we going to maintain our status as the world's great superpower ... or allow radical Marxist Democrats to destroy the very foundations that make us the envy of the entire world?"
He added: "We must take a stand and fight to protect the greatest nation in the history of the world from being overrun by mini Mamdanis."
While Mamdani is an avowed socialist, El-Sayed has called himself a "capitalist who understands how capitalism works."
Democrats say prominent Republicans, including President Donald Trump, are trying to scare voters by branding their opponents communists or Marxists.
After defeating Rep. Haley Stevens in Tuesday's Democratic primary, El-Sayed will face former Republican Rep. Mike Rogers in the Nov. 3 general election for the open Senate seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Gary Peters, a Democrat.
The race is expected to be a key contest in the battle for control of the upper chamber.
Michigan, in the US' Upper Midwest, is seen as a swing state that could vote for either major party.
