Hochul Throws Support Behind Progressive Challenger Zohran Mamdani in New York’s Mayor Race

New York Governor Kathy Hochul has officially endorsed Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani for mayor, giving the 33-year-old progressive a major boost ahead of November’s high-stakes election.

In an op-ed for The New York Times on Sunday, Hochul said she backed Mamdani after “frank conversations” about how to make the city more affordable and equitable.

“I heard a leader who is focused on making New York City affordable — a goal I enthusiastically support,” she added.

Mamdani, a vocal pro-Palestinian advocate and Democratic Socialist, stunned the city’s political establishment back in May when he won 56 percent of the Democratic primary vote, easily beating former governor Andrew Cuomo. He’s promised to freeze rents for subsidised tenants, make buses free and redirect city spending to poorer areas.

Cuomo isn’t giving up. Despite losing the primary, he’s still running in November as a pro-Israel candidate, having also joined a legal team defending Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against war crimes allegations. His decision to stay in the race reflects the deep divide inside the Democratic Party over Israel–Palestine and other issues.

Polls show Mamdani with a commanding lead, as much as 22 points ahead, but many top Democrats had been hesitant to endorse him. Until now, Hochul had praised Mamdani’s ideas without formally backing him. Party leaders like Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries have also stayed quiet.

Progressives have blasted that silence. Speaking in Iowa on Saturday, Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen called it “spineless politics” and urged Democrats to “get behind him now.” Mamdani himself has been campaigning with Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Pramila Jayapal, leaning into his outsider image.

Thanking Hochul for her support, Mamdani said the endorsement showed “our party can unify” behind a plan to make the city more affordable. He also praised Hochul for “standing up to Trump.”

Trump, never one to stay on the sidelines, mocked Mamdani as “my little communist mayor” on Fox News but acknowledged his strong poll numbers as “a rebellion against bad candidates.”

According to a Quinnipiac poll last week, Mamdani has 45 percent support, Cuomo 23 percent, Republican Curtis Sliwa 15 percent and embattled incumbent Eric Adams, running as an independent, just 12 percent.

With less than two months to go, Hochul’s endorsement marks a turning point — giving Mamdani’s insurgent campaign establishment validation while sharpening the battle lines for the most closely watched mayoral race in the country.