New York City Mayor Mamdani and three congressional candidates he endorsed—Brad Lander, Claire Valdez, and Darializa Avila Chevalier—participated in interviews last week conducted by Bartley Blakeley, a figure known for her controversial views on Hamas and significant social media following. The interviews, released shortly before Tuesday’s primary election, prompted criticism due to Blakeley’s previous statements perceived as sympathetic to the Palestinian militant group.

Blakeley, who has amassed several hundred thousand followers across various platforms, shared the discussions via Instagram. Among the topics covered was the candidates’ collective support for the proposed Block the Bombs Act, which they pledged to co-sponsor if elected to Congress. Blakeley characterized the interaction as reflecting a sense of solidarity, expressing enthusiasm about the “comrade energy” of the group.

The decision to engage with Blakeley has drawn rebuke from some quarters, including Dov Hikind, a former Brooklyn state assemblyman and founder of Americans Against Antisemitism. Hikind referred to Mayor Mamdani’s endorsed candidates as the “Hamas slate,” alleging widespread backing for the group among the far-left political faction. “The world is turned upside down,’’ he said, contending that supporting these candidates is tantamount to endorsing not just Hamas but also Iran, Hezbollah, and the Houthis.

Blakeley’s controversial reputation stems largely from statements she made in 2024. In October of that year, she released a video on the social media platform X, using the hashtag “#sinwar” to draw comparisons between Yahya Sinwar, a deceased Hamas leader, and figures like Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela. Earlier in 2024, she publicly refrained from condemning or blaming Hamas for the October 7, 2023, attack in Israel, which resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths.

Mayor Mamdani and the endorsed congressional candidates have not publicly responded to the backlash surrounding their interviews with Blakeley. The interactions come amid heightened tensions over the Israel-Palestine conflict and a broader national debate over political alignments and foreign policy stances. The primary elections will provide an early test of the candidates’ support within their districts amid these controversies.