The Conservative Party of New York State made a sharp rebuke this week of Governor Kathy Hochul’s endorsement of Democratic Party nominee Zohran Mamdani in the 2025 New York City mayoral race, calling her decision “political expediency over the health of her state.”
“Governor Kathy Hochul chose Leftism over New Yorkers,” said Conservative Party Chair Gerard Kassar in a September 15 release. “She calculated that endorsing socialist Zohran Mamdani was better for her career than taking on the forever-seething radical left to protect the people and businesses of New York City. That’s what just happened. The Governor of New York chose political expediency over the health of her state. It will end her career.”
Hochul first announced her endorsement of Mamdani in a September 14 letter published in The New York Times. She pointed to affordability, public safety, and opposition to President Donald Trump as major considerations behind her reasoning for the endorsement. While Hochul also acknowledged policy disagreements she had with Mamdani, she said she was still confident in his “courage, urgency and optimism” to lead New York City.
“Zohran and I don’t see eye to eye on everything, and I don’t expect us to,” Hochul wrote. “I will always reserve the right to disagree honestly and to argue passionately. But I also believe that New York State and New York City are at their best when we stand together against those who attempt to tear us apart.”
The Conservative Party, which is fielding Irene Estrada for mayor through a Wilson-Pakula authorization, is not alone in criticizing the decision. Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa told ABC7 on Monday that he was unsurprised by Hochul’s endorsement, adding that he does not trust politicians of either the Republican or Democratic parties, who he said are subject to “flip flop.”
As of Monday afternoon, Independent Political Report was not aware of any public responses to the endorsement from independent mayoral candidates Eric Adams, Andrew Cuomo, or Joseph Hernandez.
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