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Gov. Hochul’s endorsement of Zohran Mamdani as much about her political future as his
By
Jimmy Vielkind
and
Jon Campbell
Published Sep 15, 2025
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Mike Groll/Office of Governor Kathy Hochul
By
Jimmy Vielkind
and
Jon Campbell
Published Sep 15, 2025
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Gov. Kathy Hochul’s endorsement of Zohran Mamdani for New York City mayor could help her in next year’s gubernatorial election as much as it helps his quest for City Hall. And it could mean Mamdani would have a much easier time enacting his campaign agenda if he wins in November.
The Buffalo-born governor on Sunday became the most prominent centrist in New York to bless the candidacy of a Democratic socialist to lead the state’s largest city. Hochul stressed that she still has many policy disagreements with Mamdani, but they have a shared focus on affordability.
Political observers said Hochul’s calculus is clear. She secured a narrower-than-expected win in 2022 in part because of lackluster turnout among Democrats in the five boroughs. An alliance with Mamdani could help her win progressive votes in both the primary and general elections as she runs for a second full term next year.
“As I see it, the Hochul endorsement helps Hochul more than it helps Mamdani,” said Christina Greer, a political science professor at Fordham University.
Mamdani told reporters Monday that Hochul’s endorsement meant he and the governor would be “working hand in hand to fight for the people.” Progressive allies of the candidate – who won a crowded Democratic primary in June – said Hochul’s endorsement marked a change from resistance to partnership.
“These endorsements are no longer about delivering votes,” said Ana María Archila, co-leader of the New York Working Families Party. “ I think it signals that she is interested not just in partnership with Zohran, but trying to also appeal to Zohran's base.”
That’s prompted a reaction from Republicans. President Donald Trump threatened to withhold funding from the state. U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik seized on Hochul’s move as proof that she’s not a moderate.
“The reality is Kathy Hochul owns Zohran Mamdani's position to defund the police, to abolish our law enforcement, to abolish prisons, to abolish private health care insurance, to decriminalize sex workers,” Stefanik, who is weighing a challenge to Hochul, said Monday on Fox News.
The governor has enjoyed a good working relationship with New York City Mayor Eric Adams, but has had a strained history with former Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Both men are running on third-party lines. Radio host Curtis Sliwa is the Republican nominee. Polls consistently show Mamdani in the lead, followed by Cuomo.
Hochul said she had a number of conversations with Mamdani over the summer about public safety, but told him of her decision during a meeting last week. Mamdani told Hochul he would invite the governor to be part of discussions over his handling of the NYPD and selecting a police commissioner, Hochul said Monday.
Mamdani has said he wants to disband some NYPD units and spend $1 billion on a new city agency to address emergencies involving mental health and homelessness.
The governor said that she made her endorsement decision after recent reports about President Donald Trump and his allies' machinations to push Adams and Sliwa out of the race to create a better path for Cuomo.
“I want to make sure I have someone who’s not tainted or compromised,” she said.
Mamdani said that Hochul’s endorsement meant he and the governor would be “working hand in hand to fight for the people.”
Patrick Dodson / New York Public News Network
Other officials, including some Democrats in more suburban areas, are displeased.
Rep. Tom Suozzi, a Democrat from Long Island who once primaried Hochul for governor before becoming her ally, has spent weeks criticizing Mamdani’s platform, going as far as to suggest he should leave the Democratic Party and create his own.
On Monday, state Assemblymember Sam Berger — a moderate Democrat whose Queens district includes a strong Orthodox Jewish population in Kew Garden Hills — took issue with Hochul’s contention in her op-ed that Mamdani has been listening to Jewish leaders and “addressing their concerns directly.”
That’s “gaslighting,” Berger said.
“The Jewish community is rightfully nervous about what a Mamdani mayoralty means for us,” Berger said. “Don’t tell us he’s addressed this directly when he so clearly hasn’t.”
Berger said history will judge whether Hochul’s endorsement of his fellow assemblymember was wise, politically speaking.
And even some progressives are taking a wait-and-see approach. Hochul last week declared herself a “staunch capitalist” during a Bloomberg interview and reiterated her opposition to raising taxes on the wealthy. Mamdani says he will pay for his signature campaign promises, including making MTA buses fare-free, by raising taxes on the rich.
“I certainly hope that her endorsement of him is a sort of change of tone [for Hochul],” said Carolyn Martinez-Class, the co-executive director of the progressive group Citizen Action of New York.
So far, Hochul hasn’t weighed in with much detail. She hasn’t heeded calls by Citizen Action to hold a special session to respond to the coming Medicaid cuts included in a massive tax and spending bill signed into law by President Donald Trump.
Assemblymember Jarett Gandolfo, a Republican from Suffolk County, said he took the endorsement of Mamdani as a sign that Hochul would tack left. He believed it would help the GOP tell voters they should replace Hochul with someone who could be a check on Mamdani.
“ That's to me a signal that she's going to be on board with these tax increases,” he said. “A Republican governor would be absolutely key to preventing the majority of that Mamdani agenda from becoming reality.”
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Jimmy Vielkind
Jimmy Vielkind covers how state government and politics affect people throughout New York. He has covered Albany since 2008, most recently as a reporter for The Wall Street Journal. Jimmy led a team of reporters that won a New York Press Club award for coverage of Andrew Cuomo’s downfall and was on a team that won a Gerald Loeb Award for coverage of Amazon’s HQ2 process. A native of the Capitol Region, Jimmy has two degrees in urban planning. His position is funded by a grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Reach Jimmy at [email protected].
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Jon Campbell
Jon Campbell covers the New York State Capitol for WNYC and Gothamist. Prior to that, he covered the Capitol for more than a decade for the USA TODAY Network. He has twice earned the Walter T. Brown Memorial Award, an honor given annually by the Legislative Correspondents Association alumni for outstanding state government coverage. Jon grew up in the Buffalo area and graduated from the University at Albany. Got a tip? Email Jon at [email protected] or Signal at JonCampbellNY.90.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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