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Why Mamdani’s name was mostly missing from debate for New York governor
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Jimmy Vielkind
Published Oct 15, 2026
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Susan Watts/Office of Governor Kathy Hochul
By
Jimmy Vielkind
Published Oct 15, 2026
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This column originally appeared in The Politics Brief, our weekly newsletter on the people, power and policies that shape New Yorkers' lives.
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New York Gov. Kathy Hochul wasted no time in bringing up President Donald Trump as she attacked her Republican challenger Bruce Blakeman in their only debate.
But it took more than 40 minutes for Blakeman to mention the bogeyman who helped him cruise to re-election last year as Nassau County executive: New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
Chapin Fay, a spokesperson for Strong and Safe New York, a super PAC backing Blakeman, said it comes down to popularity.
“Mayor Mamdani is one of the most popular politicians on planet Earth. Kathy Hochul, who is notably not, is trying to tie herself to the mayor,” Fay said. “Why would Blakeman do the job for her?”
A Siena University poll released last month found 46% of likely voters around the state viewed Mamdani favorably, compared to 48% for Hochul, 35% for Blakeman and 34% for Trump.
During an hourlong debate hosted by Spectrum News and broadcast around the state, Hochul and Blakeman clashed over data centers, immigration policy and state spending.
The democratic socialist mayor’s name came up fewer than 10 times. Trump, by contrast, was mentioned more than 50 times.
“I did not wrap myself in the shroud of Donald Trump the way you did,” Hochul charged Blakeman at one point.
“No, you wrapped it in Zohran Mamdani,” Blakeman replied.
“Who Donald Trump actually thinks is a great mayor,” Hochul retorted, a reference to multiple positive joint appearances between the president and the mayor.
Blakeman said he didn’t bring up Mamdani earlier because he wasn’t asked about him.
The county executive went on to call Mamdani an antisemite, but complimented him for keeping Jessica Tisch in place as NYPD commissioner. Mamdani, who has been fiercely critical of Israel’s conduct in Gaza, said Blakeman’s attacks were racist. The mayor has appeared with Jewish leaders and repeatedly denounced antisemitic vandalism and other crimes.
Hochul, a moderate, rejected Blakeman’s characterization and called Mamdani “a partner.” She said the two are planning to campaign together.
“I invited him to watch a Buffalo Bills game with me like we did last year,” said Hochul, an Erie County native. “Given that the Bills are looking so good these days, I think he'd enjoy the experience.”
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This week in New York politics
- An ICE agent shot a man in the neck in Marble Hill last week. Several people were arrested for protesting after the incident, and Mayor Mamdani criticized ICE’s tactics as reckless, saying the ICE agent could have been easily mistaken for a mass shooter. The New York City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America is also pressuring Mamdani to fire Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch if ICE doesn't leave New York City.
- The City Council and Mamdani announced they plan to ban carriage horses in Central Park.
- As he faces mounting criticism from the left for his approach to policing, Mayor Mamdani announced a comprehensive review of the NYPD’s use of force policies.
- MTA Chair Janno Lieber accused Andy Byford, who is leading Amtrak’s Penn Station rebuild, of going “full MAGA.”
- New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill said that her administration uncovered about 1,100 additional problematic voter registrations during its probe of the state’s automatic voter registration system.
- Members of Cornell University's student government say they officially alerted administrators to a growing culture of sexual assault and drugging within the school's fraternities two years before a student known in legal filings as Jane Doe reported that she was gang raped at a campus fraternity house, and that their warning fell on deaf ears.
- Here’s how Rebecca Bennett, a Democrat running for Congress in a traditionally red New Jersey district, is trying to woo Republican voters.
Join us for a conversation on the expansion of the Second Avenue subway
The long-promised expansion of the Second Avenue subway was intended to address a long-standing transit gap in East Harlem. But as construction advances, the project has also exposed a deeper tension between infrastructure investment and displacement.
Join WNYC’s “NYC Now” and the transit team on Thursday, Oct. 22, for a live podcast and community conversation with residents, business owners and MTA officials.
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When: Thursday, Oct. 22. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the event starts at 7 p.m.
Where: CCCADI Ilé Oyin, 208 East 126th St., NY, NY 10035
Tickets are free, but registration is required. Click here for more information.
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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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