Staten Island Dem chair stepping down after backlash over Mamdani endorsement

Laura LoBianco Sword is stepping down as chair of Staten Island’s Democratic Party amid backlash over her endorsement of Zohran Mamdani for New York City mayor. The endorsement, issued after Mamdani upset ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the June mayoral primary, was announced in November and reportedly made without the borough party’s executive committee approval, triggering criticism from several Staten Island leaders who said the move bypassed the party’s formal process.

LoBianco Sword, who also serves as director of homeowner services in the Mayor’s Office of Housing Recovery, told the Staten Island Democratic County Committee in a recent email that she would “pass the torch” and would not seek re-election. She said she would instead “enthusiastically support” state Assemblyman Charles Fall to replace her. The message did not mention Mamdani or explain the reason for stepping down. Some borough Democrats asserted that endorsing Mamdani without executive board input violated party bylaws that require consultation on endorsements.

In interviews with The Post, critics noted that Mamdani is a socialist who has drawn stiff resistance from more moderate Democrats on Staten Island and elsewhere. A top borough Democratic operative described the endorsement as a unilateral move that did not reflect the views of the party’s entire executive body, a charge echoed by members of the law committee who said they learned of the endorsement from the media rather than from colleagues on the executive board. “Staten Island is not Mamdani Country,” one operative said, adding that LoBianco Sword “went out of her way to endorse him without the executive committee’s support, and people are in an uproar.”

The endorsement occurred as a broader intra-party clash in New York politics intensified. State Democratic Party Chair Jay Jacobs has faced pressure to resign after he refused to back Mamdani, following Gov. Kathy Hochul’s endorsement of the candidate. Cuomo’s supporters in the borough and across Long Island have remained split, with some Staten Island Democrats backing Cuomo and others signaling more openness to Mamdani’s campaign within the party’s broader coalition.

Cuomo was endorsed by Staten Island Democrats in the primary, but Mamdani won only a modest share of that vote in Richmond County—46.5% for Cuomo to 37.5% for Mamdani in the initial round of ranked-choice voting. The dynamic illustrates how the borough’s distinct political temperament can influence citywide races, even as the city’s Democratic establishment wrestles with the rise of more progressive figures within its ranks.

LoBianco Sword’s move to step down comes with a path forward already sketched by her own statements. In closing the loop on her tenure, she highlighted organizational gains—record fundraising, bylaw reforms, and a more inclusive local party under her leadership—while noting the work ahead for the next chair. She said she would not seek re-election and would instead back Fall, a fellow Democrat who has long been active in the borough’s political circles, to assume the post.

Observers cautioned that the timing of the exit could complicate the party’s ability to unify on citywide races this fall. The Staten Island Democratic County Committee is scheduled to vote on its leadership at a Sept. 29 reorganization meeting, and the selection of Fall would mark a transition point for the borough’s political operations as it navigates internal tensions over endorsements and strategy for November.

The broader NYC political landscape remains unsettled as the mayoral campaign unfolds. Mamdani’s frontrunner status in the eyes of many progressive activists contrasts with local party wings that prefer more centrist approaches and continued backing for Cuomo in various roles. The Staten Island situation underscores how intra-party fault lines can influence citywide campaigns, especially in a borough historically cautious about rapid shifts in political direction.