New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Sunday formally endorsed Zohran Mamdani for mayor of New York City, saying she had concluded the Democratic nominee shares her priorities on public safety, affordability and resisting what she described as the destructive policies coming from Washington.
In an opinion piece published in The New York Times, Hochul wrote that she had held "frank conversations" with Mamdani about his past comments and positions — including his prior support for the "defund the police" movement and his vocal advocacy for Palestine — and that she had pressed him on rising antisemitism. "We've had our disagreements," she wrote, "but in our conversations, I heard a leader who shares my commitment to a New York where children can grow up safe in their neighborhoods and where opportunity is within reach for every family."
Hochul said she had warned Mamdani of several nonnegotiable ideals and that the two agreed to work together to combat antisemitism "urgently and unequivocally." She also said Mamdani committed to ensuring police officers have the resources they need to keep the streets safe. Hochul framed her endorsement in part as a stand against former President Donald Trump, writing that the next mayor must be "fearless in confronting the president's extreme agenda — with urgency, conviction, and the defiance that defines New York." She added, "We must never allow Mr. Trump to control our city like the king he wants to be. Anyone who accepts his tainted influence, or benefits from it, is compromised from the start."
The endorsement comes with less than two months before the general election and as Mamdani, 33, has emerged as a frontrunner after winning the Democratic nomination over former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who is now running as an independent. Trump had denounced Mamdani after the primary, calling him a "100% Communist Lunatic" on Truth Social; Mamdani has described himself as "Donald Trump's worst nightmare" and as a progressive, Muslim immigrant who champions his policy positions.
Hochul's support also highlights political fault lines in the mayoral contest. Current Mayor Eric Adams, Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa and Cuomo remain in the race. Reports earlier this month said advisers to Trump had considered offering roles to both Adams and Sliwa as part of a strategy to consolidate conservative support against Mamdani and Cuomo. Rumors that Adams might withdraw circulated this week, but his office denied them in a statement to News 12 Long Island: "Eric Adams is in this race to win it, and no amount of fake chatter or political spin will change that. These lies are being spread by desperate opponents who can’t match the mayor’s record, his campaign energy, or his support across this city."
Hochul acknowledged she and Mamdani are not aligned on every issue and noted the governor's history of working with Adams while he has been mayor. She criticized national Republican policies that she said have hurt the city, singling out cuts to Medicaid and food assistance, tariff policies she said were killing jobs, and threats by Trump to use federal authority, including the National Guard, to address crime in Democratic-run cities.
Mamdani's positions on policing and Middle East policy have drawn scrutiny from Jewish leaders and pro-Israel groups. Hochul said Mamdani had met with Jewish community leaders to hear their concerns and that she believed he had taken steps to shape his approach as a result of those conversations. Her endorsement signals an effort by a Democratic governor to unify behind her party's nominee despite differences, and to present a united front against what she portrays as threats from national Republican leaders.
The mayoral campaign will move into its final weeks with Hochul's public alignment behind Mamdani, a contested general election field and continuing debate over public safety, homelessness, affordability and the city's relationship with federal authorities. Campaigns for Mamdani, Hochul and the other mayoral candidates did not immediately respond to requests for additional comment.