Mamdani Flip-flops on Hochul, Praises Governor After Years of Criticism

Mayoral front-runner Zohran Mamdani, a self-identified socialist, is suddenly offering glowing words for Governor Kathy Hochul despite previously branding her a failure. The shift has sparked criticism that Mamdani’s newfound praise is less about conviction and more about politics.

This week, the Queens assemblyman praised Hochul’s record on affordability, a position far removed from his blistering remarks just two years earlier.

“I think Governor Hochul has been successful in her pursuit of an affordability agenda,” Mamdani said Wednesday, citing “steps that she has taken on childcare thus far.”

The praise comes shortly after Hochul endorsed Mamdani, standing alongside him in Queens and calling him “eminently reasonable” when it comes to finding ways to fund his expansive proposals without raising taxes.

Mamdani’s words mark a stark reversal. In 2023, he excoriated Hochul during state budget negotiations for refusing to raise taxes on the wealthy, declaring on the Assembly floor:

“At a time when the cost of living has increased and New Yorkers are being crushed, she has failed our constituents across the state. Our governor said a key goal of her budget was to make New York more affordable. Yet she refused to do this even as the Assembly, the People’s House, proposed raising taxes on New Yorkers who make more than $5 million a year and corporations with profits above that same amount.”

Back then, Mamdani cast his vote against her budget. Today, he is hailing her as a partner on affordability, pointing to programs like rental assistance.

“To me, the affordability agenda, the efficiency agenda, they’re intertwined. It’s one of the hallmarks of when she entered into office, and I’m excited, frankly, to partner with her on these points that we put forward,” he said.

If elected mayor, he would depend heavily on Albany – and Hochul –  to deliver funding for his big-ticket promises like universal childcare and free bus service. But with the state facing a $34 billion deficit and Hochul publicly ruling out income tax hikes, it remains unclear how Mamdani’s “handouts” would be financed.

Despite labeling herself a moderate, Hochul has chosen to embrace the Democratic Socialists’ standard-bearer, a move that has raised eyebrows given his past denunciations of her leadership.

At a recent Queens event announcing state grant money, Hochul praised Mamdani directly: “I want to thank Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani for putting a special exclamation point on how hard it is for families struggling in this city and why affordability measures are so critically important.”

Mamdani’s ideological whiplash may come at a cost. For Hochul, cozying up to a socialist risks alienating moderates at a time when voters are deeply concerned about fiscal discipline. For Mamdani, the sudden softening on a governor he once blasted as a failure may make him look politically expedient, not principled.

Promotional Content

Mamdani Flip-flops on Hochul, Praises Governor After Years of Criticism