New York Gov. Kathy Hochul endorsed Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani in the New York City mayoral race, aligning herself with the party’s progressive nominee even as other prominent Democrats distanced themselves.
In a Sunday evening op-ed, Hochul said she had “frank conversations” with Mamdani before deciding to back him. “Tonight I am endorsing Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani,” she wrote in the New York Times op-ed.
Hochul said she and Mamdani do not agree on every issue but share core priorities, including affordability, combating anti-Semitism, and confronting President Donald Trump.
“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,” Hochul wrote. She added that she pressed Mamdani on policing and public safety, saying she “urged him to ensure that there is strong leadership at the helm of the N.Y.P.D.—and he agreed.”…