Kathy Hochul Endorsed Zohran Mamdani. Will Top Democrats Join Her?

New York Gov Kathy Hochul became the top official in the state to endorse Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani for New York City for mayor on Sunday marking a shift for a strident defender of Israel as mainstream Democrats grapple with surging population encouragement for Mamdani s criticism of the Israeli regime over its ongoing genocide in Gaza In an opinion piece for the New York Times Hochul wrote that she and Mamdani shared priorities like making the city more affordable and ensuring strong leadership of the New York Police Department She also took an oblique shot at Mamdani s two main competitors current New York City Mayor Eric Adams who President Donald Trump s gang has reportedly pushed to drop out of the race and Andrew Cuomo who would have a better shot at winning if Adams did so The former governor lost the Democratic primary by just under percentage points to Mamdani in June In light of the abhorrent and destructive policies coming out of Washington every day I needed to know the next mayor will not be someone who would surrender one inch to President Trump Hochul wrote Trump apparently displeased with the endorsement called it a rather shocking rise Hochul s patronage for Mamdani followed nearly three months of hand-wringing from the de facto leader of New York s Democratic Party who has expressed skepticism of Mamdani s approach proposals that would require tax hikes on the wealthy and more inhabitants spending Now Hochul s endorsement sets her apart from the top two Democrats in Congress Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries who have both declined to weigh in on the majority heated race in New York City As a consequence New York s Democratic establishment remains split over whether they should rally behind Mamdani Cuomo or seemingly no one Nearly three months after the primary only four members of the Democratic congressional delegation representing New York City districts have endorsed Mamdani Reps Nydia Vel zquez Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Jerry Nadler and Adriano Espaillat Only Vel zquez and Ocasio-Cortez backed Mamdani before his primary win We have a Democratic nominee Ocasio-Cortez narrated reporters earlier this month Are we a party that rallies behind their nominee or not Related How Andrew Cuomo Could Become NYC Mayor Even if Zohran Mamdani Wins A multitude of members of New York City s financial elite set on edge by Mamdani s promises of a freeze on stabilized rents and other measures to lower the city s cost of living have been plotting to keep him from securing the mayor s seat in November Democratic Reps George Latimer Ritchie Torres Gregory Meeks and Tom Suozzi have endorsed Cuomo Sen Kirsten Gillibrand and Reps Dan Goldman Grace Meng and Yvette Clarke have not made endorsements in the race Urging her fellow New York Democrats to back Mamdani Ocasio-Cortez has pointed to her promotion of President Joe Biden during the presidential electoral contest even though he was not her preferred candidate We use our primaries to settle our differences and once we have a nominee we rally behind that nominee I am very concerned by the example that is being set by anybody in our party Ocasio-Cortez explained earlier this month If an individual doesn t want to patronage the party s nominee now it complicates their ability to ask voters to advocacy any nominee later Outside the city Rep Pat Ryan a Democrat who represents a swing district in the Hudson Valley endorsed Mamdani last week Democratic Rep Laura Gillen a moderate from Long Island was the first Democrat to publicly denounce Mamdani s campaign after his win but has not endorsed a candidate in the race Reached for comment a spokesperson for Jeffries pointed to a announcement he made to reporters last week I certainly will have more to say about the New York City mayor s race in short order Offices for Schumer Gillibrand Goldman Meng and Clarke did not promptly respond to requests for comment Nadler who released this month he will retire at the end of the current congressional session addressed his change of heart toward Mamdani during an interview with WNYC s Brian Lehrer on September During the primary Nadler mentioned he would not back Mamdani because of his criticism of Israel s genocide in Gaza and what Nadler called Mamdani s lack of experience Nadler advised Lehrer his decision to endorse Mamdani after he won the primary was a no-brainer First he was the Democratic nominee Nadler disclosed Second what are the alternatives You have the mayor who s a crook and you had Andrew Cuomo whom I had disclosed should resign from the governorship because he was a repeat sexual predator Goldman whose Manhattan district Mamdani won in June endorsed state Sen Zellnor Myrie before the primary and has revealed he has spoken with Mamdani but won t endorse him without concrete approaches to assuage fears from Jewish New Yorkers about hate crimes in the city It s not clear what further strategies Goldman wants to see Mamdani has repeatedly stated he takes concerns about antisemitism seriously and that he would take strategies to protect all of his constituents Jewish and otherwise Clarke endorsed New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams before the primary Meng who did not make an endorsement prior to the primary congratulated Mamdani on his win in June and a campaign that she announced built coalitions mobilized underrepresented New Yorkers But she stopped short of endorsing Mamdani Gustavo Gordillo co-chair of the New York City Democratic Socialists of America which supports Mamdani s campaign condemned the party establishment for neglecting to rally behind Mamdani Establishment Democrats have no plan to endorsement the workers targeted by Trump s agenda Gordillo announced If establishment Democrats refuse to get behind Zohran they re not just rejecting the vision of an affordable NYC they re rejecting the voters and counting who are behind Zohran The post Kathy Hochul Endorsed Zohran Mamdani Will Top Democrats Join Her appeared first on The Intercept