As governor, Hochul is seen as the leader of the Democratic Party in New York, and her endorsement of the party's nominee for mayor is generally expected. That said, Mamdani’s version of democratic socialism is quite unpopular in the suburbs, upstate, and even in parts of the city, making Hochul’s endorsement controversial.
Jay Jacobs, chairman of the State Democratic Party and a close ally of Hochul, stated that he would not endorse Mamdani, and with good reason. Mamdani, who served two terms as a Queens assemblyman, was an opponent of Hochul throughout the previous year.
During a speech before the UJA Federation last year, Hochul joked about obliterating Canada if it attacked New York, while condemning Hamas for the terrorist group’s assault on Israel on October 7, 2023.
“If Canada someday ever attacked Buffalo, I’m sorry, my friends, there would be no Canada the next day.”
Proving that Democrats eat their own kind, Mamdani posted on X:
“Governor Hochul is justifying genocide while laughing. Disgusting.”
One Democratic insider noted that Mamdani’s refusal to endorse Hochul demonstrates that he and his leftist coalition, which includes the DSA, are gaining traction within the party. One reason is Mamdani’s ability to appeal to the naïve first-time voters who helped him defeat Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary in June.
When asked, Cuomo stated: