Mayor Mamdani backs DSA co-chair Gordillo amid questions over wealth and union claims

When asked whether DSA co-chair Gustavo Gordillo should step down over alleged misrepresentations, Mayor Zohran Mamdani defended the activist, citing the organization’s right to choose its leaders. Critics such as Kevin McCall pointed to Gordillo’s $1.5 million Brooklyn residence, purchased by his father through a limited-liability company in 2019, and to his shifting claims about union affiliation. Although Gordillo once identified as an IBEW Local 3 electrician, records show no completion of the required journeyman program and he now describes himself only as a generic union worker.

Mamdani repeated that anyone focused on making New York more affordable should be welcomed, despite the controversy. Governor Kathy Hochul declined to comment on the DSA’s internal matters. Gordillo’s family also owns multimillion-dollar homes in Boca Raton and Weston, Florida, underscoring the disparity between his public image and personal wealth.