Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) endorsed Democratic socialist and New York City (NYC) mayoral candidate Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani in his campaign to serve as the next mayor of the city.
In a guest essay in the New York Times, Hochul revealed that she is endorsing Mamdani, adding that in the “frank conversations” she has had with him, she has “heard a leader who shares my commitment to a New York where children can grow up safe” and where each family has opportunity “within reach.”
In her essay, Hochul adds that she spoke to Mamdani about how “police officers should have every resource” to keep the streets and subways in the city safe, and about “the need to combat the rise of antisemitism.”
“Tonight I am endorsing Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani,” Hochul wrote in the guest essay. “In the past few months, I’ve had frank conversations with him. We’ve had our disagreements. But in our conversations, 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. I heard a leader who is focused on making New York City affordable — a goal I enthusiastically support.”
Hochul’s essay continued:
I also shared with him my priorities, making it very clear that our police officers should have every resource to keep our streets and subways safe. I urged him to ensure that there is strong leadership at the helm of the N.Y.P.D. — and he agreed.
We discussed the need to combat the rise of antisemitism urgently and unequivocally. I’ve been glad to see him meet with Jewish leaders across the city, listening and addressing their concerns directly. I look forward to working together to make sure New Yorkers of all faiths feel safe and welcome in New York City.
In her essay, Hochul said that “in light of the abhorrent and destructive policies” from the Trump administration, she “needed to know the next mayor would not be someone who would surrender one inch” to President Donald Trump.
Hochul’s endorsement of Mamdani comes as Democrats such as Rep. Laura Gillen (D-NY) and NYC Mayor Eric Adams (D) have warned that Mamdani is “too extreme to lead” the city, and have described him as being a “snake oil salesman.”
Mamdani has faced criticism from domestic violence survivors over comments he said on a podcast from July 2020, where he said “police do not create safety,” and suggested against having police officers respond to domestic violence calls.
Mamdani, who has also suggested creating city-run grocery stores, has also received endorsements from Democrats such as Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) and Rep. Pat Ryan (D-NY).
