NEW YORK, United States (MNTV) – New York City (NYC) Mayor Zohran Mamdani endorsed New York Governor Kathy Hochul for reelection, offering the moderate governor some progressive support as she faces a challenge from her political left in her campaign for a second full term in office.
In an op-ed in The Nation, Mamdani, a Democrat, noted his political differences with the governor but wrote that he’s “come to trust Governor Hochul as someone willing to engage in honest dialogue that leads to results.”
Mamdani’s endorsement further solidifies the alliance between two leaders at opposite ends of the Democratic political spectrum, with Mamdani a young democratic socialist who rode into office promising transformative change and Hochul a centrist, self-described “mom governor” from Buffalo.
Governor Hochul supported Mamdani for mayor, lending him some establishment credibility during his campaign, and has found common ground with him on shared priorities of affordability and child care. But she’s broken with the mayor on other elements of his agenda, including his calls to raise taxes on the wealthy, while positioning herself as a moderate check on his budding administration.
The governor expressed gratitude for Mamdani’s partnership in a statement, writing “I know that he’ll stand strong alongside me as we fight against Donald Trump’s attacks on this state.”
Mayor Mamdani’s backing could help Governor Hochul shore up her left flank in June’s Democratic primary. Hochul’s critics on the right, including Republican candidate for governor Bruce Blakeman, a county official on Long Island, are expected to seize on the endorsement as evidence that the Democratic Party has moved too far to the left.