Governor Kathy Hochul of New York has endorsed Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani in the city’s mayoral race, lending establishment backing to the left-wing candidate whose campaign has surged in recent weeks.
In an op-ed published Sunday in The New York Times, Hochul said her decision followed “frank conversations” with Mamdani, 33, a progressive state lawmaker from Queens who won the Democratic primary in May with 56.4 percent of the vote.
“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 Mamdani’s focus on affordability, including pledges to freeze rents for subsidized tenants and make city buses free, “is a goal I enthusiastically support.”
Mamdani’s decisive primary victory came over former Governor Andrew Cuomo, who has remained in the race despite his loss, highlighting deep divisions within New York’s Democratic Party. Cuomo, a pro-Israel candidate, has aligned himself with international legal efforts defending Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a stance that contrasts sharply with Mamdani’s pro-Palestinian positions.
Polls suggest Mamdani holds a 22-point lead heading into November’s general election, though some prominent Democrats have hesitated to endorse him. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Bronx Representative Ritchie Torres have so far withheld support. Until now, Hochul had also stopped short of backing the nominee, even as she struck a more conciliatory tone than other party leaders.
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On Saturday, Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland criticized the hesitation, saying Democrats risked alienating voters by “the kind of spineless politics people are sick of.” He urged national party leaders to unite behind Mamdani.
Mamdani’s campaign has drawn energy from the progressive wing of the party. He has recently appeared alongside Senator Bernie Sanders and Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Pramila Jayapal, strengthening his standing among younger and more left-leaning voters.
Hochul’s endorsement signals growing acceptance of Mamdani’s candidacy within the party mainstream, even as internal rifts remain unresolved. With less than two months before the November 4 election, the race has become a test of the Democratic Party’s direction in one of the nation’s most important political stages.
