Hochul Backs Mamdani in NYC Mayoral Race as Other Democrats Keep Distance

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul endorsed Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani in the New York City mayoral race, aligning herself with the party’s progressive nominee even as other prominent Democrats distanced themselves.

In a Sept. 14 op-ed, Hochul said she had “frank conversations” with Mamdani before deciding to back him.

“Tonight I am endorsing Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani,” she wrote in the New York Times op-ed.

Hochul said she and Mamdani do not agree on every issue but share core priorities, including affordability, combating anti-Semitism, and confronting President Donald Trump.

“I heard a leader who shares my commitment to a New York where children can grow up safe in their neighborhoods and where opportunity is within reach for every family,” Hochul wrote.

She added that she pressed Mamdani on policing and public safety, saying she “urged him to ensure that there is strong leadership at the helm of the N.Y.P.D.—and he agreed.”

“Zohran Mamdani and I will both be fearless in confronting the president’s extreme agenda—with urgency, conviction, and the defiance that defines New York.”

Although the endorsement of the state’s top Democrat gives Mamdani a boost, other party figures have taken the opposite approach.

Rep. Tom Suozzi posted on X: “I will not be endorsing Mamdani. While I share his concern about the issue of affordability, I fundamentally disagree with his proposed solutions. Like the voters I represent, I believe socialism has consistently failed to deliver real, sustainable progress.”

He added that he had not spoken with Hochul about her decision.

Rep. Laura Gillen also criticized Mamdani after his primary win.

“Socialist Zohran Mamdani is too extreme to lead New York City. His entire campaign has been built on unachievable promises and higher taxes, which is the last thing New York needs,” she wrote on X.

She accused him of seeking to defund the police and making “a deeply disturbing pattern of unacceptable antisemitic comments.”

Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who lost the Democratic primary to Mamdani, is running as an independent and said that if Mamdani wins, Democrats would be presented as dominated by the far left.

“If you’re a Republican, you are praying for Mamdani to win,” Cuomo said in a CNBC interview, warning that his rival’s positions on policing, property ownership, and taxes would hand Republicans a national narrative.

Mamdani has alleged that Cuomo is Trump’s preferred candidate, which Cuomo denied, after reports that Trump advisers discussed offering a job to incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, also a Democrat running as an independent, to clear the field. Trump has said he didn’t and would not do so.

Mamdani called the alleged maneuvering “an affront to … democracy,” saying New Yorkers should choose their leaders without interference.

The top two Democrats in Congress, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, have both withheld endorsements for Mamdani to lead their state’s largest city. Both leaders have repeatedly declined to answer reporters’ questions about whether they will endorse Mamdani.

Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) said in Iowa over the weekend and in a podcast appearance on “The People’s Cabinet” that he was frustrated with the top Democrats from New York for not supporting the Democratic nominee.

Mamdani has received backing from national progressive figures, including Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), who have praised his grassroots organizing and his focus on affordability. Their support underscores the split between the party’s more progressive faction and other Democrats who are urging moderation after Vice President Kamala Harris’s loss in the November 2024 presidential election.

Trump weighed in on Hochul’s endorsement in a Truth Social post on Sept. 15.

“Governor Kathy Hochul of New York has Endorsed the ‘Liddle’ Communist,’ Zohran Mamdani, running for Mayor of New York,” he wrote. “This is a rather shocking development, and a very bad one for New York City. How can such a thing happen? Washington will be watching this situation very closely. No reason to be sending good money after bad!”

The race remains competitive, with Cuomo, Mamdani, Adams, and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa all on the ballot.