Hochul and Mamdani stump together for 15 minutes in first joint campaign appearance of NY governors race
Mayor Zohran Mamdani stumped with Gov.Kathy Hochul for the first time Friday — hoping to give the moderate Democrat a boost with his lefty base in New York City less than two weeks before Election Day.But the political odd couple spent just 15 minutes greeting voters together in Brooklyn’s McCarren Park, where they also took a few questions from reporters before each leaving in separate cars.It remains to be seen whether Mamdani’s Democratic Socialists of America comrades will turn out for Hochul on Nov.
3, where she’ll face Republican Bruce Blakeman as she seeks a second, four-year term.Asked by The Post whether she would give in to Mamdani’s and the NYC-DSA’s calls for her to “tax the rich” next year if re-elected, Hochul gave a waffling answer.“I will continue to deliver for the city of New York and the rest of the state, whether it’s universal childcare, building more housing, doing whatever we can to keep our streets safe, within the confines of our existing budget,” she said, as Mamdani nodded over her shoulder.“People want to make sure that we not let someone who’s promised [President] Trump-style leadership in our state,” Hochul added, in an apparent swipe at her Republican rival.“And those question why I’m campaigning with him?” she said, turning back to the mayor.
“He’s more popular than Bruce Blakeman across the damn state of New York.It’s amazing.”Blakeman, at the same time as Mamdani and Hochul’s joint appearance, held an “early voting” rally across the river in Chinatown with GOP attorney general candidate Saritha Komatireddy, who will face off against incumbent Democrat Letitia James.“I think she cannot be trusted,” Blakeman said of Hochul, recalling her reneging on her promise to halt congestion pricing.“She doesn’t have a record of building trust in the state.
She promised it would be an affordable state, yet we are the most unaffordable state,” he added.“She is not to be trusted.”But...