Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Gov. Kathy Hochul accomplished their first two weeks as governing companions on Wednesday, marking a busy begin to the enactment of an formidable shared affordability agenda.
The newly elected mayor and the governor, operating for re-election this yr, claimed quite a few victories within the early days of their working relationship, with the crown jewel being their Jan. 8 announcement of a citywide free childcare program for two-year-olds, a house run on a high-priority agenda merchandise for each elected officers.
The dimensions of the common childcare settlement — which, in line with Hochul, could be absolutely funded by the state and serve about 2,000 youngsters in its first yr — is uncommon so early on in a mayoral administration.
Former Mayor Invoice De Blasio and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, for instance, sparred for months over funding New York Metropolis’s pre-kindergarten program in 2014 earlier than selecting a deal.
Nonetheless, the childcare settlement Hochul and Mamdani reached is just not all the pieces the brand new mayor has pledged to New Yorkers on the marketing campaign path. Core to Mamdani’s democratic socialist agenda is rising taxes on New York’s wealthiest to bankroll his plans for affordability, which embrace a hire freeze on rent-stabilized flats, common childcare, and the elimination of metropolis bus fares.
Although Hochul has lengthy been an advocate of reasonably priced childcare, typically noting that she is New York’s “first mom governor,” she has poured chilly water on Mamdani’s hopes without spending a dime bus fares and has bristled at calls to “tax the rich.”
“Nothing is a permanent ‘no,’ we’re having conversations,” Hochul mentioned in a Pix11 interview final week about free bus fares. On taxes, she mentioned, “I don’t think it makes sense to tax anyone, or the wealthy in particular, for just the sake of raising taxes.”
Hochul’s endorsement of Mamdani after he received the Democratic main in June 2025 got here regardless of some ideological variations. Hochul is a centrist Democrat, Mamdani a democratic socialist.
A stark reminder of these variations confronted the duo final week, when Hochul endorsed Rep. Dan Goldman (D-Manhattan/Brooklyn) for re-election to New York’s tenth Congressional District — a race wherein Mamdani is pulling for political ally and former Metropolis Comptroller Brad Lander.
The diverging endorsements, nonetheless, got here as little shock to Albany specialists who spoke to New York News.
“To call it ‘much ado about nothing’ would be wrong because it’s not even ‘little ado about nothing,’” Evan Stavisky, a longtime lobbyist in Albany and president of the general public affairs agency The Parkside Group, mentioned.
Mamdani and Hochul have each stood by their endorsements and dismissed options that the differing endorsements sign a rift of their relationship. Hochul’s annual State of the State deal with on Tuesday largely revolved round her deal with affordability and combating the Trump administration — priorities shared by Mamdani.
Spokespeople for Mamdani and Hochul didn’t reply to requests for touch upon this story.
Establishing a working partnership
Hochul and Mamdani’s united entrance of their first two weeks as companions in authorities, although it’s early to inform, might point out a uniquely productive working relationship regardless of their ideological variations, in line with Ben Max, government editor and program director on the Middle for New York Metropolis and State Legislation.
“In a number of ways, Governor Hochul and [former Mayor Eric Adams] were more ideologically aligned than Governor Hochul and Mayor Mamdani,” Max mentioned. “However, there are obvious overlapping priorities that Governor Hochul and Mayor Mamdani have, such as childcare, and ways in which politically, they both also recognize that they need each other.”
Stavisky characterised the governor-mayor relationship as one wherein pairings have traditionally “fought with each other in order to establish dominance.” Stavisky doesn’t acknowledge that dynamic in Hochul and Mamdani.
“They’re both taking a different approach than their predecessors in ways that not only benefit their constituents but also benefit their respective politics,” Stavisky mentioned.
Relating to the pair’s willingness to compromise, Stavisky pointed particularly to Mamdani’s willingness to simply accept a 2-Care childcare plan that’s not funded by a tax hike. The plan, which is able to strengthen town’s present 3-Okay program, will value the state $1.7 billion in its first two years.
Jack O’Donnell, a longtime Albany legislative strategist, mentioned Hochul and Mamdani should be “meeting in the middle” and keep away from focusing an excessive amount of on ideological divides.
“Everyone in politics comes to this with different friends and allies. So, you know, I think that’s bound to happen based on where they both come from,” O’Donnell mentioned.
Gov. Kathy Hochul, together with MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber and Mayor Zohran Mamdani, rejoice the one-year anniversary of congestion pricing in Manhattan. Monday, Jan. 5, 2026.Picture by Lloyd Mitchell
Discovering compromise
Since her endorsement of Mamdani, Hochul has been upfront about the place their priorities and beliefs diverge. Hochul endorsed Mamdani in a New York Instances op-ed, wherein she outlined areas of friction with the then-candidate. She wrote that she had mentioned public security, antisemitism, and financial priorities with Mamdani, all points that drew heated debate in the course of the main and normal elections.
“I didn’t leave my conversations with Mr. Mamdani aligned with him on every issue,” she wrote. “But I am confident that he has the courage, urgency and optimism New York City needs to lead it through the challenges of this moment.”
Hochul mentioned in July that she informed Mamdani he has “a lot of healing to do with the Jewish community. Many of your words have been hurtful and hateful to people in their interpretation.” Mamdani, who has lengthy allied himself with the pro-Palestinian trigger, has confronted criticism for refusing to outright condemn the phrase “globalize the intifada” and for threatening to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have been he to come back to New York Metropolis.
In her op-ed, she inspired him to place an emphasis on subway security and sources for the NYPD — the brand new mayor got here beneath fireplace in the course of the main for earlier calls to “defund the police,” an opinion he walked again throughout his marketing campaign for Metropolis Corridor.
Mamdani himself has touted the significance of discovering frequent floor on necessary points regardless of variations, often quoting former Mayor Ed Koch’s well-known adage: “If you agree with me on nine out of 12 issues, vote for me. If you agree with me on 12 out of 12 issues, see a psychiatrist.”
“I expect the governor to want to help the mayor fulfill some of his promises while opposing him on others,” Max mentioned. “She knows that so much of the governing power over New York City lies with the state, but she also realizes that so much of the current political power, especially within the Democratic Party, lies with Mamdani in New York City right now.”
Shoring up help on the left
For Mamdani, Hochul’s endorsement was a monumental vote of confidence from the state’s highest officer. For Hochul, it was a possibility to ally with the Democratic Get together’s brightest rising star forward of her run for reelection.
“One of Hochul’s political calculations seems to be that she is going to get attacked as a Mamdani ally by Republicans, no matter what,” Max mentioned. “And so she has decided, in part, to endorse him in the general election and lean in on some of their relationship in order to, partly listen to the voters of New York City and also partly to show Mamdani supporters that she is someone they should support.”
Hochul, although favored by most polls to handily win the Democratic main in opposition to Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado and the overall election in opposition to Trump-endorsed Nassau County Govt Bruce Blakeman, is coming into a singular race. Apart from her deal with affordability, one shared with the mayor, she has her eyes set on Trump himself.
In her State of the State deal with Tuesday afternoon, she pulled no punches when evaluating the influence of Trump’s first yr again in workplace on New York State.
“This moment carries real threats from Donald Trump and his enablers in Congress,” Hochul mentioned, pointing to tariff-induced inflation, killed infrastructure initiatives, and mass Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention of New Yorkers arriving at routine immigration hearings. “It’s all part of an agenda that only makes our lives harder.”
As Hochul approaches a battle with Trump-aligned Republicans within the fall, she’s seeking to her left for help.
“She will be attacked as a Mamdani ally by the Republican nominee for governor, but she hopes that that’s counteracted by significant support from Mamdani voters,” Max mentioned. “And the childcare announcement is key in currying some of that favor, but if she’s not willing to budge much on taxes … she might face some real skepticism if she’s not following through on support for Mamdani in other ways.”
