Will NY Gov. Kathy Hochul’s endorsement of Zohran Mamdani cost her Jewish support?
The endorsement strengthens Mamdani’s mayoral bid, but could complicate the governor’s reelection campaign and her stance with Jewish voters
L to R (collage photo): NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul. Photo by John Lamparski/Getty Images and Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images)
By Jacob Kornbluh September 15, 2025
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul gave Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee for New York City mayor, a major credibility boost by endorsing his campaign, even as top party leaders have withheld support over concerns about his progressive views.
In an opinion essay in The New York Times, published Sunday evening, Hochul said her endorsement of Mamdani followed months of conversations in which their shared priorities outweighed their disagreements.
In her essay, Hochul said she discussed with Mamdani “the need to combat the rise of antisemitism urgently and unequivocally.” She added that she was satisfied with his willingness to meet with Jewish leaders, “listening and addressing their concerns directly.” Hochul pledged to work with a Mayor Mamdani to “make sure New Yorkers of all faiths feel safe and welcome in New York City.”
The move will likely strengthen Hochul in next year’s Democratic primary, where she faces a left-wing challenge from her lieutenant governor, Antonio Delgado. But it could complicate her outreach to Jewish voters while bolstering Rep. Elise Stefanik, a Republican who has made the fight against antisemitism on college campuses central to her congressional brand. For Stefanik, who labeled Mamdani “antisemitic,” it will reinforce her own appeal to Jewish voters statewide as she potentially seeks a run for governor. In 2022, former Rep. Lee Zeldin came within five percentage points of winning the governor’s race, powered by strong Jewish support.
In a statement on Sunday, Stefanik said Hochul now owns “every radical position” Mamdani holds, including “every heinous pro-Hamas antisemitic position.”
A frontrunner, but a fractured field
Mamdani, a democratic socialist and strident Israel critic, is a heavy favorite to win in November in a multi-person race that includes former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Mayor Eric Adams — both running as independents — and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa, who has struggled to gain institutional and Jewish support.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie — all Democrats — have yet to endorse the frontrunner. They cited concerns among Jewish voters about Mamdani’s outspoken criticism and distancing from Israel.
Mamdani has declined to clearly condemn the “globalize the intifada” slogan at pro-Palestinian protests as incitement to violence against Jews, though he said he’d “discourage” the use of that phrase. He declined to recognize Israel specifically as a Jewish state and said he would refuse to visit the country as mayor. A longtime supporter of the boycott Israel movement, Mamdani also pledged to divest from Israel Bonds and dissolve a council Mayor Eric Adams created in May aimed at strengthening the U.S.-Israel economic ties.
On Friday, Mamdani doubled down on his pledge to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he comes to New York, in compliance with an International Criminal Court warrant. Such an arrest would likely be unlawful, experts say.
In a recent speech to Jewish supporters, Mamdani said his primary victory reflected how many in the city are deeply troubled by the Israeli military’s actions in Gaza. Mamdani based that on a survey that found a plurality of New York City voters, including a solid majority of the young voters who powered his campaign, say he offered the best approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
During the primary, Mamdani made an effort to reach out to the more than 700,000 Jewish voters in New York City, the largest concentration of Jews in the United States. But has made little progress since, despite meeting with Jewish leaders. A recent poll showed that 75% of Jewish voters hold an unfavorable view of Mamdani.
The Democratic nominee is backed by several Jewish elected officials, including Brad Lander, the city’s comptroller and highest-ranking Jewish elected official who competed in the primary for mayor against Mamdani and cross-endorsed him; Rep. Jerry Nadler, co-chair of the Congressional Jewish Caucus; and Ruth Messinger, the trailblazing Jewish political leader who in 1997 became the first and only woman to win the Democratic nomination for New York City mayor. Assemblymember Micah Lasher, a favorite to succeed Nadler, who recently announced his retirement, has already faced backlash from some Jewish constituents for helping rally Jewish support for Mamdani.
