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Will These Reactions to Mamdani's Primary Win Affect NY's '26 Gubernatorial Election?

Rebecca Downs
Rebecca Downs  |  June 25, 2025 6:15 PM

On Tuesday night, Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, a radically far-left socialist, won New York City's Democratic mayoral primary. The election was conducted via rank choice voting, and although Mamdani came short of the 50 percent threshold, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo conceded that evening. The crowded race was largely expected to come down to Cuomo and Mamdani, with Cuomo seen as having an edge, until Mamdani saw a surge in the final weeks of the race. While Mamdani is likely to win in November--though that's not necessarily a foregone conclusion, especially with Mayor Eric Adams in the general election race as an independent--that could be even worse for his fellow Democrat, Gov. Kathy Hochul, who is up for reelection next year.

Hours after Mamdani's win, Hochul chimed in over X. In case there was any doubt as to if the incredibly unpopular governor would risk connecting herself to a socialist, she's clear with her support.

There's no mention of how Mamdani has supported pro-Hamas activists and phrases, from Mahmoud Khlail to the phrase "globalize the intifada," as well as how during his time as an assemblyman he's demonstrated himself to be no friend of Jews or Israel. This includes support for the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement and he drafted a bill that could threaten the non-profit status for Jewish organizations in New York City. 

Rather, Hochul claimed that "voters made their voices heard, demanding a more affordable, more livable New York City," adding, "I hear them loud and clear." In tagging Mamdani, Hochucl also claimed that he "built a formidable grassroots coalition, and I look forward to speaking with him in the days ahead about his ideas on how to ensure a safe, affordable, and livable New York City."

Hochul and Mamdani may want people to think that their proposals will lead to "a safe, affordable, and livable New York City," but Mamdani's socialist endeavors such as to freeze the rent and have city-owned grocery stores won't do that, the same with proposals for "free" childcare and public transportation. Mamdani has also been quite vocal in his support for defunding the police, as many of his social media posts, especially from 2020 but also more recently, show. 

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Mamdani tried to claim earlier this month that Cuomo was lying by mentioning what Mamdani himself repeatedly expressed support for, but his own social media supports show otherwise, as a proposed Community Notes highlghts.

When it comes to Hochul's post about how "voters made their voice heard," we'll see if Hochul is saying the same thing when it comes to her own election next year, potentially even her primary.

As we've been covering since last December, polls have shown and continue to show that New York voters have soured on Hochul. Morning Consult consistently has her as one of the least popular governors in the country, and multiple Siena College polls show that her approval and favorable ratings are underwater, as well as how voters prefer "someone else" as governor. Last month's poll indicated that 55 percent of registered voters went with that choice. Barely a majority of her fellow Democrats, at 51 percent, said they'd go for reelecting her. Hochul is also facing a primary challenge from her own lieutenant governor, Antonio Delgado. 

Further, the rest of the state, which has overall shifted to the right, may not warm up to Mamdani and Hochul's support for him so much. It's worth reminding that while the Biden-Harris ticket won New York in 2020 by over 23 points, the Harris-Walz ticket only won the state last November by 12.6 points. 

The most recent poll spoke to hopeful news in particular for Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), who is considering a gubernatorial run. In speaking out about Mamdani's primary win, with such a statement and social media posts coming hours after Hochul commented over X, Stefanik focused heavily on how this is a losing issue for the governor.

As her statement form Tuesday night read, shortly before Cuomo conceded:

"Under Kathy Hochul’s catastrophic failed leadership of the NY Democrat Party, a radical, Defund-the-Police, Communist, raging Antisemite will most likely win the New York City Democrat Mayoral primary. 

Make no mistake, it is BECAUSE OF Kathy Hochul and the NY Democrat Party’s inept weakness and sheer incompetence that this has happened. Kathy Hochul and NY Democrats have fully embraced Marxism, antisemitism, anti-capitalism, and sheer insanity. 

New Yorkers understand that Kathy Hochul and Far Left Socialist Democrats are destroying our great state with sanctuary state and defund the police policies, high taxes, and raging antisemitism combined with failed, ineffective, and bloated government paid for by hardworking New Yorkers. 

Voters will say ENOUGH IS ENOUGH next year. 

Kathy Hochul, the Worst Governor in America, you just got a Communist antisemite elected as the Democrat nominee for Mayor of New York City. You have refused to disavow his dangerous rhetoric and policies and you will be held accountable by New Yorkers. 

And mark my words, Kathy Hochul, we are going to fire you in 2026 to SAVE NEW YORK.”

Stefanik also put out that statement in a post over X. 

As the night continued on and Hochul still had not posted, Stefanik called her out for that too. 

"We know you are in full blown panic mode as you frantically draft and send out the congratulatory tweet to the antisemitic, jihadist, Communist candidate you helped elect in your party’s Democrat primary because of your silence, weakness, and ineptitude. You own this dangerous insanity and are incapable of defeating it," Stefanik suggested. "So next year, New Yorkers will defeat you to save our state."

When Hochul did finally put out a post, Stefanik also weighed in with her own quoted repost, offering that she was "clearly agonizing over her tweet" and "owns this catastrophe."

Hochul isn't the only New York Democrat who looks to be in trouble. Although he isn't up for reelection until 2028, there have been warning signs that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) could lose a primary to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), a member of the Squad and one of Mamdani's most vocal supporters. Other polls, not even those to do with what's for now a hypothetical primary, also don't look too good for him and his role and relevance in the party.

Schumer, who is Jewish, also communicated his support for Mamdani over X on Wednesday. He also spoke about working with Mamdani, with many calling him out for not acknowledging the mayoral candidate he's supporting radical views. The minority leader even released a book in March, "Antisemitism in America: A Warning," which many mocked him for in the replies, especially as his record doesn't exactly show support for Jews or Israel. 

Less than two months after the October 7, 2023 attack that Hamas perpetrated against Israel--an attack which Mamdani had his own problematic reaction to, on October 8--Schumer warned from the Senate floor about antisemitism that was coming from the left. Just a few months after that, though, he once more took to the Senate floor and called for new elections in Israel, so as to oust Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Such remarks were not well received, in Israel or the United States. Speaking of Netanyahu, though, Mamdani has indicated he'd like to have him arrested. 

Schumer has also had quite the problematic reported reaction to antisemitism at Columbia University, where Khalil had been a graduate student of, in addition to himself supporting Khalil over X, eventually. As majority leader, Schumer also failed to advance a bill that had passed the House last year with bipartisan support codifying the definition antisemitism. The bill's sponsor, Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) called Schumer out for not doing enough when speaking to Townhall at the time. More recently, as minority leader, Schumer managed to whip virtually every Democrat--except for Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania--in voting against sanctioning the International Criminal Court (ICC). 

Stefanik also put out a quoted repost of StopAntisemitism, which took a screenshot of Schumer to condemn him for supporting a mayoral nominee whose record and statements has pointed to support for antisemitism. It's also worth noting that Mamdani has cried about it and played the victim when called out for his statements.