Mamdani endorses Hochul for reelection as New York governor

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani endorsed Gov. Kathy Hochul for reelection on Thursday, offering the moderate governor some progressive heft 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 democratic socialist, noted his political differences with the governor, but wrote that he's “come to trust Governor Hochul as someone willing to engage in an honest dialogue that leads to results.”

The endorsement further solidifies the alliance between two leaders positioned at opposite ends of the Democratic political spectrum, with Mamdani a young progressive who rode into office promising transformative change and Hochul a centrist, self-described “mom governor” from Buffalo.

The governor 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.

Hochul expressed gratitude for Mamdani's partnership. “I know that he’ll stand strong alongside me as we fight against Donald Trump’s attacks on this state,” her statement said.

Mamdani's endorsement could help Hochul shore up her left flank in June's Democratic primary. Her own lieutenant governor, Antonio Delgado, is challenging her with a progressive campaign styled in the mold of Mamdani, seeking to harness the energy that propelled the mayor to office and national political stardom.

Delgado's campaign did not immediately return a request for comment.

At the same time, Hochul's critics on the right, including Republican candidate for governor Bruce Blakeman, a county official on Long Island, seized on the endorsement as evidence that the Democratic Party that has moved too far to the left.

“New Yorkers who want a check on Mamdani and Hochul’s radicalism have one choice: elect Bruce Blakeman Governor in November and vote Republican at all levels of government,” David Laska, a spokesperson for the NYGOP, said in a statement after Mamdani's op-ed.

Hochul served as lieutenant governor under former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, assuming the top job in 2021 after Cuomo resigned following a barrage of sexual harassment allegations and the almost certain prospect of impeachment. She became the first woman elected to the role the following year, defeating former congressman and current Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin, in a competitive race that narrowed as Zeldin seized on public safety concerns.