New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's surprise endorsement of Governor Kathy Hochul for re-election has sent shockwaves through the progressive community, potentially undermining his efforts to push Albany lawmakers into raising taxes on the rich.
Hochul, a centrist Democrat, had previously resisted the idea of increasing taxes on affluent New Yorkers to fund populist proposals such as universal child care, a key demand of Mamdani's left-leaning base. However, in her own endorsement of Hochul, she acknowledged that child care was a "consequential policy victory" – one that was made possible by the governor's willingness to back the proposal.
In a move seen by many as a strategic power play, Mamdani's decision comes after he sounded the alarm on New York City's shaky finances just weeks ago. His warnings of an impending $12 billion deficit were aimed squarely at Hochul, with Mamdani arguing that she needed to do more to address the city's financial woes.
Now, with Hochul backing his affordability agenda and promising to pay for two years of a pilot child care program, it appears that some of the leverage Mamdani had with the governor has been lost. The New York City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, which includes Mamdani as a member, did not immediately comment on his endorsement.
However, India Walton, the running mate of Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado in Hochul's re-election bid, suggested that Mamdani's decision was motivated by a desire to secure additional wins for the city. Basil Smikle, a former Democratic strategist who now teaches at Columbia University, also noted that he would not be surprised if Mamdani's endorsement came with certain concessions from Hochul.
As such, it remains to be seen how this development will play out in Albany, where Mamdani is expected to appear on February 11 to make the city's fiscal case to state legislators. For now, the momentum appears to be squarely behind Hochul, and Mamdani's efforts to tax the rich may have lost some of their steam – at least for the time being.
Hochul, a centrist Democrat, had previously resisted the idea of increasing taxes on affluent New Yorkers to fund populist proposals such as universal child care, a key demand of Mamdani's left-leaning base. However, in her own endorsement of Hochul, she acknowledged that child care was a "consequential policy victory" – one that was made possible by the governor's willingness to back the proposal.
In a move seen by many as a strategic power play, Mamdani's decision comes after he sounded the alarm on New York City's shaky finances just weeks ago. His warnings of an impending $12 billion deficit were aimed squarely at Hochul, with Mamdani arguing that she needed to do more to address the city's financial woes.
Now, with Hochul backing his affordability agenda and promising to pay for two years of a pilot child care program, it appears that some of the leverage Mamdani had with the governor has been lost. The New York City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, which includes Mamdani as a member, did not immediately comment on his endorsement.
However, India Walton, the running mate of Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado in Hochul's re-election bid, suggested that Mamdani's decision was motivated by a desire to secure additional wins for the city. Basil Smikle, a former Democratic strategist who now teaches at Columbia University, also noted that he would not be surprised if Mamdani's endorsement came with certain concessions from Hochul.
As such, it remains to be seen how this development will play out in Albany, where Mamdani is expected to appear on February 11 to make the city's fiscal case to state legislators. For now, the momentum appears to be squarely behind Hochul, and Mamdani's efforts to tax the rich may have lost some of their steam – at least for the time being.
I think Zohran Mamdani is trying to save his own bacon here 
. He knows he can't take on Hochul alone, so by backing her, he's getting a piece of the action 
. That endorsement from India Walton seems legit, but Basil Smikle's warning about concessions? 
. The real question is: what'll be the cost of this deal for Mamdani himself? 
! So, Zohran is basically saying he wants Kathy to win, but at the same time, his own party members are all upset because they thought he was gonna be the one in charge of taxing the rich and funding all that cool stuff Mamdani wants. 
. And it's cool that Hochul is backing universal child care as a policy victory 
. But at the same time, it feels like Mamdani might be losing his grip on the progressive left 
.
. It's definitely got me wondering what other moves Hochul will make if she wins re-election 
. But what's going on with his plan to raise taxes on rich folks? 
. Maybe he traded that for a promise from Hochul to back his affordable agenda and fund child care 
? Either way, it's gonna be interesting to see how this plays out in Albany on Feb 11 
What's next, though? Will the city actually start seeing some changes in Albany? 
. Either way, this is going to be interesting to watch, especially at the Albany level 
.
, but then you realize that the ingredients were meant to be combined in a different way 
! maybe mamdani's surprise endorsement of hochul wasnt just about securing concessions, but also about getting her on board with his affordability agenda? i mean, child care is def a key demand for his base 
. anyway, it'll be interesting to see how this plays out in albany - maybe its all part of the plan 
. I mean, Hochul's not exactly known for her progressive leanings, so it's hard to trust that she's gonna really deliver on Mamdani's stuff. Plus, this whole thing feels like a big power play 
lol jk, i guess he just wanna be part of the team n get some wins 4 nyc, but idk if it's really worth losin that leverage w/ Hochul