Hochul’s Remarks on Mamdani and the New York Mayoral Race

During an interview on Tuesday, New York Governor Kathy Hochul was asked if she would support Zoran Mamdani, the Socialist Democratic candidate for mayor of New York City. She discussed her viewpoints on the upcoming election, indicating some areas where she and Mamdani might disagree but also emphasizing their common ground.

Hochul mentioned, “I’ve had numerous conversations with him and quite a few meetings. There are certainly points we don’t see eye to eye on, but he is aware of these differences and is addressing them, particularly in relation to the Jewish and business communities.” However, she reiterated that there are significant issues where their perspectives align.

In addition, the governor stated that she plans to collaborate with the next mayor, provided they are committed to opposing former President Donald Trump. “We introduced Universal Child Care in our state address last January. There’s potential for collaboration on this, though it’s a complex issue,” she said. “Implementing a $7 billion childcare initiative in the first year poses challenges, and we need to strategize better for the future.” She further noted that any New York mayor should be willing to stand up to Trump.

Currently, Mamdani is viewed as a front-runner in the mayoral race, but he has faced criticism from elected Democratic officials, including Laura Gillen and Tom Suozzi. Gillen characterized Mamdani’s positions as “too extreme for leading New York City.” Other prominent Democrats, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, have also hesitated to endorse him. Nevertheless, he has received endorsements from figures like Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and New York Congressman Jerry Nadler.

Concerns have also emerged from some Jewish Congressional Democrats regarding Mamdani’s stance, particularly pertaining to his past comments that some have labeled anti-Israel. In a video clip from August, Mamdani discussed “abolishing private property,” which raised eyebrows within the party.

Mamdani will be facing former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who he narrowly defeated in the Democratic primary, alongside incumbent Mayor Eric Adams and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa. Even though Cuomo and Adams are running on independent tickets, both remain registered Democrats.

Mamdani’s campaign has yet to respond to inquiries for further comment.