Mamdani Endorses Hochul Citing Universal Childcare Deal And Reset Albany City Hall Ties

NEW YORK, NY — Mayor Zohran Mamdani endorsed Gov. Kathy Hochul in an op-ed published Thursday in The Nation, citing a recent agreement to expand universal childcare and what he described as a reset in the relationship between Albany and City Hall.

“The era of empty promises ends,” Mamdani wrote, calling the childcare agreement one of the largest expansions of New York City’s social safety net in decades.

The deal, announced eight days into Mamdani’s administration, includes more than $1 billion in state funding and is expected to reduce childcare costs by more than $22,500 per family, according to the mayor. Mamdani credited nearly 100,000 campaign volunteers who mobilized across the city and Hochul’s decision to commit state resources.

“We delivered this historic win together,” Mamdani wrote. “But it would not have happened … without Governor Hochul moving to provide more than $1 billion in state funding.”

In the op-ed, Mamdani said the agreement marked a departure from years of strained relations between the city and the state. He described a governing partnership defined by cooperation rather than conflict, even amid sharp policy disagreements.

“The Governor and I do not agree on everything,” Mamdani wrote, pointing to differences over taxing the wealthiest New Yorkers. “I continue to believe that the wealthiest among us can afford to pay just a little bit more.”

Mamdani framed the endorsement as a response to what he called a prolonged affordability crisis affecting childcare, housing and public transit. He said residents have grown frustrated with political stalemates that produce few tangible results.

“People are struggling to afford childcare, housing, and public transit,” he wrote. “They are tired of being told to wait while they are crushed by an affordability crisis that drives out the very people who built this city.”

The mayor said his collaboration with Hochul has included joint efforts to protect New Yorkers from federal immigration enforcement and defend funding for social services and infrastructure projects as the city faces fiscal pressure.

He described the relationship as one built on trust rather than unanimity, arguing that disagreement can coexist with effective governance.

“That requires not the absence of disagreement, but the presence of trust,” Mamdani wrote.

Mamdani said the challenges facing the city, including budget strain and rising costs, make cooperation between state and city leaders essential. He credited Hochul with defending the social safety net and maintaining infrastructure funding amid broader political and economic uncertainty.

“Governor Kathy Hochul has earned my endorsement because she has chosen to govern in that spirit,” Mamdani wrote. “And in this moment, that choice matters.”