Hochul’s Mamdani Endorsement Puts New Pressure on Other High-Profile New York Democrats

Governor Kathy Hochul on Sunday evening endorsed New York City’s Democratic mayoral candidate, Zohran Mamdani, citing their alignment on affordability issues and on fighting President Trump. Will other New York Democrats follow suit?Ms. Hochul’s endorsement, published in the New York Times, comes after the Empire State governor waffled all summer about whether she would throw her support behind the 33-year-old Democratic Socialist. Her endorsement will put new pressure on other high-profile New York Democrats — most notably the House minority leader, Hakeem Jeffries, the Senate minority leader, Charles Schumer, and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand — to back Mr. Mamdani.“New York needs leaders who will put aside differences, stand up, and fight back against Mr. Trump,” Ms. Hochul said. “Zohran and I don’t see eye to eye on everything, and I don’t expect us to.”Ms. Hochul, who is running for re-election next year and will likely need some of Mr. Mamdani’s base of young progressives to vote for her, said she and Mr. Mamdani are “unlikely allies” and couched her endorsement with multiple mentions that the two don’t agree on everything. She said they do see eye to eye on the need to make the city more affordable — Mr. Mamdani’s signature campaign issue that helped him win the primary.“Affordability has long been my top priority as governor, and it is the No. 1 concern I share with Mr. Mamdani,” Ms. Hochul said.The governor said that she and Mr. Mamdani had many “frank conversations” and that he agreed to have “strong leadership at the helm of the NYPD.” This comes as Mr. Mamdani is trying to distance himself from past support for “defund the police.” He said last week that he will apologize to the NYPD for calling them “racist, anti-queer & a major threat to public safety” in 2020.Ms. Hochul also said that she and Mr. Mamdani discussed the need to “combat the rise in antisemitism.” Mr. Mamdani said last week that he will order the NYPD to arrest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he sets foot in the city. Mr. Mamdani now says he will discourage use of the phrase “globalize the intifada” — a reversal from his primary campaign stance. Mr. Mamdani is heavily favored to win November’s election, according to polls. If he becomes mayor, he will need support from the state legislature and governor to implement many of his proposals and to raise taxes to fund them. Ms. Hochul said in June that she would not raise taxes on wealthy New Yorkers, adding, “I don’t want to lose any more people to Palm Beach.” In her endorsement, she said that she reiterated to Mr. Mamdani her commitment to attracting business to the Big Apple so it “remains the center of the global economy.” Ms. Hochul also took a dig at Governor Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Eric Adams. “We must never allow Mr. Trump to control our city like the king he wants to be. Anyone who accepts his tainted influence, or benefits from it, is compromised from the start,” she said.The governor’s backing comes after months of pressure from the left flank of the Democratic Party and amid calls for unity as the party faces historically low approval ratings. Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland endorsed Mr. Mamdani Saturday at a party event in Iowa and took a swipe at New York Democrats refusing to do the same.“That kind of spineless politics is what people are sick of,” Mr. Van Hollen said.Mr. Jeffries’s spokesman, Justin Chermol, responded to Mr. Van Hollen over the weekend, saying the House minority leader “will have more to say about the general election well in advance of November 4.”“Meanwhile, confused New Yorkers are asking themselves the question: Chris Van Who?” Mr. Chermol said.Mr. Schumer is holding back his endorsement for now as well. The New York City branch of the Democratic Socialists of America is vowing to primary establishment Democrats who don’t support Mr. Mamdani or their far-left agenda. Mr. Jeffries, Congressman Dan Goldman, and Congressman Ritchie Torres are targets on their list.“Thank you,” Mr. Mamdani posted to X Sunday night. “I’m grateful for the Governor’s support in unifying our party.”

Hochul’s Mamdani Endorsement Puts New Pressure on Other High-Profile New York Democrats

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