New York governor backs Zohran Mamdani for NYC mayoral role

NEW YORK: New York Governor Kathy Hochul has endorsed Zohran Mamdani in his run for mayor of New York City, a major boost for the rising Muslim politician.

“In the four years since I took office, one of my foundational beliefs has been the importance of the office of New York governor working hand in hand with the mayor of New York City for the betterment of the 8.3 million residents we both represent,” Hochul wrote in a New York Times opinion piece.

“The question of who will be the next mayor is one I take extremely seriously and to which I have devoted a great deal of thought. Tonight I am endorsing Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani.”

In a post on X linking to the column, she wrote: “New York City deserves a mayor who will stand up to (President) Donald Trump and make life more affordable for New Yorkers. “That’s @ZohranKMamdani.”

In response, Mamdani welcomed the endorsement in a post on X. “I’m grateful for the Governor’s support in unifying our party, her resolve in standing up to Trump, and her focus on making New York affordable. I look forward to the great work we will accomplish together. Our movement is only growing stronger,” he wrote.

Mamdani won the Democratic primary in June, defeating the establishment candidate, Andrew Cuomo, with progressive promises to freeze rent, introduce a $ 30-per-hour minimum wage, and increase taxes on the wealthiest New Yorkers.

With a message of change and a savvy social media presence, Mamdani turned out thousands of new voters, and polling on the mayoral election shows him comfortably ahead of Cuomo, a former governor of New York, who is now running as an independent candidate.

Mamdani also has a large lead over Eric Adams, the unpopular incumbent mayor who is also running as an independent, and the Republican Curtis Sliwa.

Yet, Hochul, the most powerful Democrat in New York, had resisted endorsing Mamdani or any other candidate for mayor, telling journalists in June: “Obviously, there are areas of difference in our positions.”

The governor appears to have come round, however, having met with Mamdani in recent weeks. Hochul, who is running for re-election next year, released her first campaign ad in late August, casting herself as a straight-talking “fighter” who will stand up to Donald Trump.

Mamdani’s victory has inspired more than 10,000 progressives to consider a run for office and earned big-name endorsements from progressive Democrats like Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, as well as Pakistan-born Senator Chris van Hollen during the campaign.

Yet the centre of the party has appeared wary. Senior Democratic figures in the state, including Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and the House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries, have yet to endorse anyone for mayor.

Chuck Schumer, the influential Senate majority leader who represents New York, has also yet to endorse in the race. Schumer is a staunch supporter of Israel, while Mamdani has repeatedly criticised the Israeli war on Gaza and described the situation there as a genocide, as have many human rights groups, including some from Israel.

Mamdani has also said that if elected, he would order the New York Police Department (NYPD) to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he sets foot in the city.

He said in an interview with The New York Times that Netanyahu was a war criminal who was committing genocide in the Gaza Strip. If the Israeli leader were to come to New York, Mamdani said, he would honour a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court for Netanyahu’s arrest by having him apprehended at the airport.