Shamsul Haque, a former lieutenant with the New York Police Department (NYPD), is making a surprising political pivot as he seeks a state assembly seat in New York. Once a staunch supporter of Republican candidates, Haque is now publicly endorsing Democratic Socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani. His organization, Rise Up New York City, has a history of criticizing leftist politicians, previously labeling them as detrimental to New York State. In a notable shift, Haque has expressed alignment with Mamdani's pro-working class policies, stating, 'DSA is unequivocally in favor of taxing the rich, and I am in the same boat.' This change comes as he prepares to run for the 30th Assembly District seat, which became available following state Senator Mike Gianaris's decision not to seek reelection. Haque faces competition from Patrick Martinez, who is backed by local Democratic leaders, and Somnath Ghimire, a community leader. The political landscape is heating up as Haque attempts to navigate his new alignment with leftist ideals while contending with his past criticisms of the very politicians he now seeks to align with.