Gov. Kathy Hochul declined Wednesday to say whether she would support Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s push to “tax the rich” if she wins reelection, instead offering a carefully worded response when pressed on the issue.
The Democrat was questioned about her unlikely alliance with the democratic socialist mayor, who has joined her on the campaign trail during the closing days of the 2026 race. A reporter asked whether anything “hinged” on Mamdani’s support.
“I will say this. A year ago I was out campaigning with the mayor. He has returned the favor and campaigned for me and I’m grateful for that,” Hochul told reporters at her Midtown office during an unrelated news conference.
When asked for a more direct answer, Hochul was pressed on whether Mamdani could expect more from her next year after she helped the mayor secure his first budget this year with state-backed measures, including a pied-à-terre tax on luxury second homes in New York City.
“There are no quid pro quo for us supporting each other. I want to have a relationship with the mayor of New York,” she said, still stopping short of explicitly ruling out tax increases. “He wants to have a relationship with the governor of New York. And it’s all for the benefit of driving more confidence among New Yorkers in their government, which was not there for a long time.”
“I’m going to continue working in partnership on the areas we agree, and there are many,” she added. “I’m going to continue to find a line, but regardless of what my supporters or his supporters say, we know how to do this.”
Hochul’s comments marked a significant shift from the firm opposition she expressed just months ago, when the governor repeatedly rejected Mamdani’s campaign to raise taxes on wealthy New Yorkers.
“We should not be raising taxes on high-net-worth individuals,” Hochul told FOX 5 as recently as July.
“We should not be raising taxes on the companies that are creating the jobs and generating the revenue that helps us pay for the services that people in New York City come to rely on,” she added.
Her exchange Wednesday suggested a different political strategy just days before the Nov. 3 midterm election. Hochul is seeking to capitalize on Mamdani’s strong support among young New York City voters as she works to remain in office in Albany.
Hochul holds a substantial voter-registration advantage over Republican opponent Blakeman, who trails by roughly 14 points in one poll, 54% to 40%. Still, the governor has been counting on heavily Democratic New York City to offset Republican strength Upstate and help improve her margins after facing criticism in past years for weighing down other Democrats on the ballot.
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The governor, who is seeking her second full four-year term, has been trying to navigate a difficult political balance: energizing the liberal wing of the Democratic Party, including Mamdani’s socialist supporters, while maintaining credibility with more moderate voters in the state’s suburbs.
Hochul has been booed repeatedly by Mamdani supporters at joint appearances and recently acknowledged that many members of his base may not welcome the new alliance.
“His supporters probably aren’t thrilled when they see us standing together,” Hochul told Politico Magazine this week. She also described Mamdani as “very pragmatic when it comes to getting things done.”
Mamdani began campaigning publicly with Hochul only last week. He joined her for a brief walk through Brooklyn on Friday and appeared with her again at a luncheon Sunday.
He later starred in a television advertisement attacking Blakeman and praised Hochul during a Brooklyn news conference Wednesday.
“It’s been a real pleasure to be going alongside Governor Hochul and canvassing for her reelection,” Mamdani said, adding that his free-child-care program “would not have been possible” without her support.
Yet Mamdani’s supporters are not the only ones in his political orbit who have opposed Hochul. Allies within the Democratic Socialists of America establishment have criticized the governor since the beginning of the partnership.
In May, the group claimed that “people will die” because Hochul refused to endorse Mamdani’s tax proposal, accusing her of “cowering to the donor class” while saying “democratic socialists fight for the working class.”
“We’re up against an undemocratic bully in Albany & the oligarchs that back her. But our wins show that movement pressure CAN deliver for our communities,” the left-wing party said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Blakeman hammered Hochul in TV spots for what he characterized as flip-flopping policies.
“Hochul raised taxes before, she’ll raise them again,” a newly unveiled ad said. “Only your vote for Bruce Blakeman will stop them.”
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