Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) on Sunday announced that she is endorsing socialist Zohran Mamdani in the New York City mayoral race.

Hochul’s endorsement came in an op-ed for the New York Times in which she said that while the two “don’t see eye to eye on everything,” she now sees Mamdani as a “leader who is focused on making New York City affordable.”

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“The question of who will be the next mayor is one I take extremely seriously and to which I have devoted a great deal of thought. Tonight I am endorsing Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani,” Hochul wrote.

The endorsement follows initial hesitance from Hochul on Mamdani’s candidacy.

Last weekend, she dodged on endorsing Mamdani in a Fox News appearance, saying the race is “up to the voters” to decide.

Hochul’s endorsement will likely be an even further boost for Mamdani, who is the clear front-runner in the race. He is facing former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa.

The NYC mayoral election will take place on Nov. 4.

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