Republicans Target Governor Hochul’s Ties to Socialist Mayor-Elect Mamdani

NEW YORK CITY, NY — New York Republicans are setting their sights on Governor Kathy Hochul following her endorsement of newly elected mayor Zohran Mamdani. GOP Representative Elise Stefanik criticized Hochul’s support of the self-identified socialist shortly after Mamdani’s election on Tuesday.

Stefanik’s attacks intensified as she warned that Hochul’s alliance with Mamdani could harm her reelection chances and hurt Democratic candidates in upcoming races. “They know Hochul left them behind, threw them under the bus, and bent the knee to the NYC Communist,” Stefanik stated.

Hochul faced additional pressure as conservatives linked her to Mamdani after he was slow to respond to antisemitic graffiti, with Stefanik demanding, “Now get your endorsed Communist Antisemite to condemn.” Meanwhile, Hochul described the vandalism as “an act of terrorism” in a press event in Brooklyn.

Some GOP insiders view Hochul’s connection to Mamdani as a political liability, particularly if Mamdani’s policies fail to deliver results in the city. GOP strategist Bill O'Reilly said, “The governor now owns whatever happens in New York City. There’s tremendous dissatisfaction with Hochul’s policies and leadership.”

Hochul, who backed Mamdani in September, appeared at several of his campaign events, responding to pressure from progressive lawmakers. Prominent Democrats, including U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, did not publicly endorse Mamdani.

Cait Conley, a special ops combat veteran running for Congress, has expressed concern that Mamdani’s election could impact her campaign. She walked away from a reporter’s question regarding Mamdani’s influence on the Democratic Party with no comment.

Mamdani campaigned on a platform that included rent freezes, free public transportation, and universal childcare, funded by raising taxes on the wealthy. However, Hochul has shown resistance to increasing taxes, which is ultimately within her control.

Political analysts noted that Republicans utilized mailers connecting Hochul and Mamdani to attack Long Island Democratic candidates. Despite a national trend favoring Democrats, Nassau County Republicans maintained their stronghold.

Moderate Democrats like Tom Suozzi and Laura Gillen admitted that their connections to Mamdani and Hochul could be detrimental to their campaigns. Gillen expressed concerns about Mamdani’s policies, emphasizing the need for commonsense leadership in New York.

Nassau County Republican Bruce Blakeman, who won his election easily, also predicted that Hochul’s ties to Mamdani would damage her reputation, stating, “Hochul is more vulnerable than she was in 2022.”

As the political landscape shifts, it remains to be seen how the Democratic Party will navigate the challenges posed by Mamdani’s far-left agenda.