NYC Mayor Mamdani will back Governor Hochul's reelection bid

Nacha Cattan and Laura Nahmias, Bloomberg News on Feb 4, 2026

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New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani plans to back the state’s governor, Kathy Hochul, in her re-election bid, according to people with knowledge of the matter, a key endorsement from one of the most influential progressive voices in the nation.

Mamdani will make the announcement this week, said one of the people, who asked not to be named as the decision isn’t public yet. Hochul is facing a primary challenge from her lieutenant governor Antonio Delgado.

While both Hochul and Mamdani are Democrats, they have differences on fiscal policy and approaches to Israel, with divisions flaring up recently over how much to tax the state’s richest residents and corporations.

Mamdani, a democratic socialist, was elected in November, after defeating former Governor Andrew Cuomo, who ran as an independent, and Republican Curtis Sliwa. Hochul endorsed Mamdani in September.

Last week, Mamdani raised pressure on Hochul by asking her to increase taxes to help New York City plug its growing budget deficit, doubling down on his campaign call to boost levies on the wealthy.

Hochul refused, but said she’d have a “strong partnership” with the mayor through the budget process. The governor delivered a key victory for Mamdani in the first month of his term, committing state money to fund two years of child care for some New York City two-year-olds.

Mamdani’s endorsement is expected to help Hochul shore up critical votes from New York City and progressive New Yorkers as she heads into the primary with left-leaning Delgado.