Shahana Hanif: Relationships
Brad Lander
Hanif served as Director of Organizing and Community Engagement in Lander's District 39 office before he was term-limited and ran for City Comptroller . Lander endorsed Hanif's 2021 campaign and again backed her 2025 reelection bid . Hanif has credited her experience working under Lander, particularly on Participatory Budgeting and community engagement, as foundational to her approach to governance .
Sandy Nurse
Council Member Nurse served as Hanif's co-chair of the Progressive Caucus beginning in January 2024, after Lincoln Restler stepped down from the leadership role . The two have collaborated on progressive policy priorities including criminal justice reform, environmental sustainability, and housing equity .
Lincoln Restler
Restler served as Hanif's first co-chair of the Progressive Caucus from 2022 to 2024 . Together they helped define the caucus's agenda during the early years of the post-2021 Council, when the progressive bloc grew to its largest size in history before contracting under new bylaws .
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
Representative Ocasio-Cortez endorsed Hanif's 2025 reelection campaign, a high-profile progressive backing that reinforced Hanif's standing within the city's left flank .
Zohran Mamdani
Then-Assembly Member Mamdani endorsed Hanif's 2025 reelection bid . The two have collaborated on pro-Palestinian advocacy and progressive policy causes. Following Mamdani's election as mayor in November 2025, Hanif's May 2026 social media post defending Mamdani against a pro-Israel rally outside Gracie Mansion drew renewed attention .
Political Endorsements Received (2025)
Hanif's 2025 reelection campaign received endorsements from Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Brad Lander, Zohran Mamdani, Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, the Working Families Party, and the pro-housing PACs Abundant New York and People for Public Space . The housing PACs cited her support for the City of Yes rezoning and her record of lifting parking mandates for new housing . She was also endorsed by multiple labor unions and community organizations .
Maya Kornberg
Kornberg, a senior research fellow at NYU's Brennan Center for Justice, challenged Hanif in the 2025 Democratic primary, describing herself as a pragmatic progressive . Kornberg was backed by the pro-Israel group Solidarity PAC, received contributions from prominent pro-Israel donors including billionaires Leonard Blavatnik and Daniel Loeb, and drew support from Brooklyn BridgeBuilders, a grassroots group formed to oppose Hanif's reelection . Hanif defeated Kornberg with approximately 70 percent of the primary vote .
Brooklyn BridgeBuilders
Brooklyn BridgeBuilders formed as a grassroots organization specifically to oppose Hanif's reelection, raising concerns about her positions on Israel, her record on antisemitism, and her constituent services . Representative Ritchie Torres spoke at the group's first fundraiser but did not formally endorse Kornberg .
Inna Vernikov
Council Member Vernikov, who represents the neighboring 48th District, publicly criticized Hanif's Jahannam social media post in May 2026, accusing her of condemning fellow Muslims for being willing to work with Jews .
Democratic Socialists of America
Hanif is a member of DSA and initially received the organization's endorsement in her 2021 primary campaign; however, DSA had backed a different candidate, Brandon West, in that race . Hanif did not seek the DSA endorsement for her 2025 reelection . In February 2026, she officially joined the DSA's City Council Socialists in Office bloc .
Working Families Party
The Working Families Party has endorsed Hanif in multiple election cycles . She ran on the WFP line in the 2023 and 2025 general elections .
CAAAV: Organizing Asian Communities
Hanif's early organizing career included work with CAAAV, formerly known as the Committee Against Anti-Asian Violence, where she advocated for immigrant communities and language access .
Family
Hanif is married to Abdullah Younus, who has served on the boards of the Arab American Association of New York and the Arab American Family Support Center . The couple's relationship became a public issue in March 2025 when the New York Post reported on discretionary funding allocations to organizations where Younus held board positions .