New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has endorsed the socialist mayoral campaign of Zohran Mamdani, and what’s the betting on how long until the top Democrats in Congress, Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries, do the same? As polling shows Mr. Mamdani far ahead of his rivals in the November election to lead New York City, other Democrats are shifting to avoid getting on the wrong side of the urban left.
Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic candidate for mayor of New York. (AP)
Ms. Hochul’s announcement came Sunday in an op-ed for the New York Times that was long on vibes and short on substance. “Mr. Mamdani and I don’t see eye to eye on everything,” the Governor writes. She isn’t “aligned with him on every issue.” But she doesn’t bother explaining further. Does Ms. Hochul support his proposals to freeze rent and open city-run Mamdani Mart grocery stores? She doesn’t say.
Instead Ms. Hochul narrates her side of the conversations she has had with Mr. Mamdani. “I emphasized to him my belief in keeping and attracting businesses so that New York remains the center of the global economy,” she writes. Well, what about Mr. Mamdani’s plan to add a new two-percentage point tax on high-income residents, on top of the city’s existing 3.876% top income tax, on top of the state’s 10.9% top marginal rate?
“We discussed the need to combat the rise of antisemitism urgently and unequivocally,” Ms. Hochul says. “I’ve been glad to see him meet with Jewish leaders across the city.”
Did they also discuss Mr. Mamdani’s refusal to condemn the activists chanting “globalize the intifada”? Did Ms. Hochul ask about Mr. Mamdani’s pledge, reiterated last week, to order New York police to arrest Benjamin Netanyahu if the Israeli Prime Minister ever visits?
How about Mr. Mamdani’s condemnation of the NYPD? In 2020 Mr. Mamdani called the police department “racist, anti-queer & a major threat to public safety.” He now says he intends to apologize for that nasty outburst, but what kind of politician says that about the cops? Ms. Hochul ducked this history in her endorsement, saying “I urged him to ensure that there is strong leadership” at the NYPD—“and he agreed.”
If Ms. Hochul truly has strong disagreements with Mr. Mamdani, she could tell voters that longtime Democrat and now independent candidate Andrew Cuomo, despite his flaws, is a better alternative in November. Or she could endorse nobody, leaving her free during her re-election campaign next year to use a Mayor Mamdani as a socialist foil. Instead Ms. Hochul has embraced Mr. Mamdani, praising his “courage, urgency and optimism.”
She must be worried about her left political flank. The power of the Democratic left in big coastal states is strong enough that perhaps Ms. Hochul felt she didn’t have much choice except to endorse her party comrade.
But if Mr. Mamdani’s socialist experiment goes as poorly as it could, Ms. Hochul’s likely Republican opponent, Rep. Elise Stefanik, will say the Governor co-signed his mayoralty. Either way, it bodes poorly for New York, state and city, and the likelihood of their continued decline.
Get the latest headlines from US news and global updates from Pakistan, Nepal, UK, Bangladesh, Russia and US Iran war Live, get all the latest headlines in one place on Hindustan Times.
E-Paper
