New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani expressed openness to campaigning with Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) as she prepares to face Republican nominee Bruce Blakeman, signaling a warming relationship between the two Democrats who represent different factions of the party.
Asked Thursday whether he would support Hochul’s reelection campaign following a recent poll showing Blakeman just 10 points behind the incumbent, Mamdani said he would.
“Yes, I do support the governor in her reelection, and I will be making that support clear at every opportunity that I have,” Mamdani told reporters.
“I also think there is a very clear choice here between Governor Hochul and Bruce Blakeman,” he said. “Yesterday, I was standing with Governor Hochul as she announced that she was going to invest more than $7 million in funding to ensure that there are no unaccompanied minors without legal defense in our city. … If a New Yorker looks at what ICE is doing and is shocked by the inhumanity and the cruelty that is in the very heart of that agency’s operation, then they should vote for Governor Kathy Hochul.”
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<p> ” data-large-file=”https://conservativemodern.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/mamdanis-openness-to-campaigning-with-hochul-shows-how-far-theyve-come.webp” src=”https://conservativemodern.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/mamdanis-openness-to-campaigning-with-hochul-shows-how-far-theyve-come.webp” alt=”New York Governor Kathy Hochul takes part in a press conference to announce action against ICE overreach in New York, Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026.” class=”wp-image-4686145″ srcset=”https://conservativemodern.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/mamdanis-openness-to-campaigning-with-hochul-shows-how-far-theyve-come.jpg 1024w, https://conservativemodern.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/mamdanis-openness-to-campaigning-with-hochul-shows-how-far-theyve-come.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https://conservativemodern.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/mamdanis-openness-to-campaigning-with-hochul-shows-how-far-theyve-come.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://conservativemodern.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/mamdanis-openness-to-campaigning-with-hochul-shows-how-far-theyve-come.jpg?resize=150,100 150w, https://conservativemodern.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/mamdanis-openness-to-campaigning-with-hochul-shows-how-far-theyve-come.jpg?resize=696,464 696w” sizes=”(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px”><figcaption class=)
New York Governor Kathy Hochul takes part in a press conference to announce action against ICE overreach in New York, Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)While Mamdani endorsed Hochul’s reelection bid earlier this year, his openness to campaign with her signals the strength of their relationship since the socialist mayor took office.
Mamdani and Hochul have clashed on several key policy issues, including Israel and law enforcement. But the two have found areas of cooperation since Mamdani’s election, working together on issues including expanding no-cost childcare and addressing New York City’s budget shortfall.
Hochul offered a hesitant endorsement to Mamdani during the mayoral campaign, acknowledging their differences.
“We’ve had our disagreements,” Hochul said at the time, writing for the New York Times. “I didn’t leave my conversations with Mr. Mamdani aligned with him on every issue. But I am confident that he has the courage, urgency and optimism New York City needs to lead it through the challenges of this moment.”
Hochul later backed an expansion of no-cost childcare and agreed to provide $1.5 billion in state aid to New York City to help close its budget gap.
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She has also supported Mamdani’s proposal for a pied-à-terre tax, which the mayor has touted as a way to generate at least $500 million annually in recurring revenue for the city by taxing secondary homes.
“Thanks to the support of Governor Hochul, we are one step closer to balancing our budget by taxing the ultra-wealthy and global elites with a pied-à-terre tax — the first of its kind in our state,” Mamdani said in a statement.
