New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani To Endorse Gov. Kathy Hochul

NEW YORK — Mayor Zohran Mamdani is set to endorse Gov. Kathy Hochul’s reelection run this week, providing her a critical inroad with progressive voters in New York, four people with knowledge of the announcement told POLITICO.

The endorsement is expected to be unveiled in the coming days as the New York Democratic Party’s convention in Syracuse is held this Friday, said the people, who were granted anonymity to discuss the upcoming announcement.

Mamdani’s expected endorsement deals a near fatal blow to Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado, who’s running to the left of Hochul in June’s Democratic gubernatorial primary and wants to draw on the momentum generated by Mamdani’s successful campaign last year.

Delgado, a former House member from a Hudson Valley seat, has tried to court the party’s left flank in his effort against the moderate incumbent governor. To that end, he selected former Buffalo mayoral candidate India Walton, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, as his running mate.

The expected endorsement comes after Mamdani ruffled feathers last week with a full-court press for Hochul to back raising taxes on millionaires, arguing it’s necessary to address a $12 billion city budget deficit. The demand from Mamdani fell on deaf ears from Hochul, who said her opposition to new income tax hikes remains. Hochul also has not embraced Mamdani’s push for free bus service this year.

Yet Mamdani will need Hochul in the coming months to accomplish much of his agenda, which includes expanding free day care — a signature issue for them both.

A Democratic strategist familiar with the endorsement talks took heart in Mamdani being able to back Hochul despite the policy tensions.

“This is what most New Yorkers want: their two executives at least singing from the same book, even if they’re not always on the same page,” said the strategist.

Mamdani’s democratic socialist base has pressed the governor to increase taxes on rich New Yorkers as well, even shouting her down with chants to “tax the rich” at a Queens campaign rally for Mamdani in the lead up to his election.

Hochul endorsed Mamdani last summer following his upset Democratic primary win over the governor’s predecessor, Andrew Cuomo. Mamdani and Hochul spoke at length leading up to that endorsement, discussing personnel, public safety and shared policy goals.

Mamdani’s statement of support will likely provide ammunition for Nassau County Executive and GOP gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman. The Long Island Republican is relying on votes from independents and “common sense Democrats” in his bid to unseat Hochul, and has already shown he will attempt to tie her to the mayor.

“Unlike Kathy Hochul, I will not allow Zohran Mamdani to turn New York City into a permanent safe haven for violent criminals and unaffordable, socialist failure,” Blakeman said in December. “I will restore law and order and affordability to ALL New Yorkers.”