New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani endorsed Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) for reelection on Thursday, touting their results-driven partnership together since he assumed office last month.
In a new op-ed published by the Nation, Mamdani said Hochul “earned my endorsement” because she is a leader who believes in “transformation” instead of maintaining the status quo. The mayor cited the New York governor’s decision to provide more than $1 billion in state funding to help launch universal child care in New York City.
“We delivered this historic win together,” he wrote, going on to tout their similar values.
“Together, we have fought to protect New Yorkers from ICE,” he said. “Together, we have defended our party, our democracy, and the ability of working New Yorkers to raise a family in the city they love. And together, we have forged a new era in the relationship between Albany and City Hall after too many years defined by pettiness instead of productivity.”
Mamdani also noted their political differences, particularly regarding an income tax hike on wealthy residents and businesses. Mamdani has openly called for such a tax increase, but Hochul excluded it from her recent proposal for the state’s $260 billion budget.
Despite their disagreement on taxing the rich, Mamdani vows not to let “difference” fester into “distrust” for them.
“Over the course of our relationship, I have come to trust Governor Hochul as someone willing to engage in an honest dialogue that leads to results,” he said. “As we face threats from Washington, she has defended our social safety net and protected funding for critical infrastructure projects.”
Earlier this week, the New York and New Jersey attorneys general sued the Trump administration to protect more than $16 billion in funding for the Gateway Tunnel project that was pulled last fall during the government shutdown. Hochul has been openly critical of the funding freeze.
Mamdani argues the Democratic Party is at its best when it “channels conflict toward progress,” and he believes that is true of his collaborative relationship with Hochul.
The elected socialist leans further to the left of Hochul, who positions herself as a centrist.
She is currently seeking reelection this year, running against her very own lieutenant governor in the Democratic primary. The two candidates announced their running mates this week.
Meanwhile, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman is running unopposed on the Republican side with the president’s support in the gubernatorial race.
MAMDANI SPINS AI-GENERATED IMAGES OF HIS MOTHER WITH EPSTEIN INTO ARGUMENT FOR REGULATION
In response to Mamdani’s endorsement, Blakeman suggested the governor struck a “secret deal” with the mayor on some issue to secure his support.
“We all know Kathy Hochul cut a secret deal with Zohran Mamdani to suddenly get his endorsement,” Blakeman asked. “Was it higher taxes to fill his budget gaps? Closing prisons and letting criminals back on the street? Pushing a big government socialist agenda that threatens private property and puts government in control of your home? Whatever the deal was, hardworking men and women are the ones who will pay the price.”
