Hochul Faces Hecklers at “New York Is Not For Sale” Rally
Governor Kathy Hochul encountered some pushback from a crowd chanting “Taxes to the rich!” during her appearance at Zoran Mamdani’s rally in Queens on Sunday night. The event, titled “New York Is Not For Sale,” attracted a large audience to the 13,000-seat Forest Hills Stadium, with prominent figures like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Bernie Sanders supporting the Democratic mayoral candidate.
Despite her history of expressing apprehension about taxing the wealthy, Hochul had recently backed Mamdani in the race for mayor. She attempted to deliver her message amidst the noise and disruptions from the crowd.
“Currently, our city, state, and country are under siege by Donald Trump and the Republican Party in Washington,” Hochul stated from a podium accompanied by key figures like state Sen. Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Speaker of the House Carl Heastie.
She criticized the government shutdown, ongoing ICE raids in New York, and the indictment of Attorney General Letitia James. As hecklers continued to interrupt her, she responded, “Oh, you’re fired up, you’re fired up.”
“Alright, I hear you,” she acknowledged, prompting cheers from some in the audience.
Notably, Mamdani has not yet pledged his support for Hochul’s reelection campaign. He indicated that his decision on backing her would be determined following a mayoral debate against former governor Hochul, Andrew Cuomo—now running as an independent—and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, scheduled after the general election.
Previously, Hochul had dismissed Mamdani’s proposal to impose a 2% income tax on city residents earning over $1 million annually, along with a corporate tax hike from 7.25% to 11.5%, aligning with rates in New Jersey.
When asked in a June interview about supporting such tax increases, Hochul firmly replied, “no.” She emphasized, “We’re not going to raise taxes at a time when affordability is a big issue.”
With early voting already underway, the mayoral election is set for November 4th.
