New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Thursday said he is endorsing Gov. Kathy Hochul for re-election, a decision that risks undermining his ongoing efforts to convince Albany lawmakers to raise taxes on the rich and appease his left-leaning base.
The early endorsement of Hochul comes as progressives have been clamoring for higher taxes on affluent New Yorkers to fund populist proposals like universal child care. Hochul, a centrist Democrat, has steadfastly resisted the idea.
“The governor and I do not agree on everything,” Mamdani wrote in an essay published in The Nation where he announced his endorsement. “We have real differences, particularly when it comes to taxation of the wealthiest, at a moment defined by profound income inequality. I continue to believe that the wealthiest among us can afford to pay just a little bit more.”
Mamdani wrote that Hochul’s agreement to support child care was “as consequential a policy victory as our movement has seen in quite some time.”
The governor has pledged to pay for two years of a pilot program. How the expansion of child care will be funded in subsequent years is an open question. The mayor has also promised to deliver other costly proposals, including free buses and city-subsidized grocery stores.
Our Time, a nonprofit aligned with Mamdani's policies, has enlisted volunteers to knock on doors in support of taxing wealthy residents.
“We believe that it is vital for the governor and other state leaders to tax the rich in order to fund the affordability agenda that New Yorkers need and deserve and voted for in November,” said Jesse Myerson, a spokesperson for Our Time.
He declined to comment on Mamdani’s endorsement.
The group is still planning for volunteers to march and rally in Albany on Feb. 25 in support of taxing the rich to pay for Mamdani’s affordability agenda.
The New York City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, of which Mamdani is a member, also did not immediately comment on his endorsement. But as recently as Wednesday, the group wrote on X, “Kathy Hochul will not create an affordable New York unless our movement of millions makes her. It's time to tax the rich.”
Only a week ago, the mayor sounded the alarm on the city's shaky finances and blamed a $12 billion deficit over the next two years on Mayor Eric Adams’ mismanagement.
During a press conference, Mamdani said the state could help the city by providing a fairer distribution of funding — and passing his tax proposal.
“We can not only put our city back on firmer financial footing, but also build a stronger city for everyone, if the top 1% of New Yorkers pay an additional 2% in income taxes,” he said.
It is a common tactic for mayors to make dire statements about the city’s finances ahead of budget negotiations with the City Council. Later in the year, mayors often announce better than expected revenue.
Hochul was reportedly angry at Mamdani for trying to leverage an exaggerated budget crisis to win her support on his tax plan.
Basil Smikle, a former Democratic strategist who now teaches at Columbia University, said he would not be surprised if Mamdani’s budget remarks prompted a behind-the-scenes negotiation with Hochul that led to his endorsement.
“I would be surprised if he did this [endorsement] without securing additional wins for the city,” Smikle said.
India Walton, the running mate of Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado, who is challenging Hochul’s re-election bid, seemed to agree.
“I trust Zohran’s leadership,” Walton said. “I know that this is a strategic move on his part.”
Mamdani is expected to appear in Albany on Feb. 11 to make the city’s fiscal case to state legislators on what’s known as Tin Cup Day.
Brigid Bergin contributed reporting.
