Gov. Kathy Hochul�s high-stakes endorsement of democratic socialist Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani in the November mayoral race backfired almost immediately when Mamdani refused to return the favor for her re-election bid.

Less than 24 hours after Hochul claimed to have found �common ground� with Mamdani on affordability and publicly backed his insurgent candidacy, the Queens lawmaker brushed off questions about supporting her in 2026.

�My focus is on November,� Mamdani told reporters. �It�s premature to ask about the thing beyond the thing.�

The snub has sent shockwaves through New York�s political world. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), a GOP challenger to Hochul, pounced: �Even Mamdani refuses to support Kathy Hochul less than 24 hours after she endorsed him!�

Veteran Democratic strategist Hank Sheinkopf said the exchange underscored Hochul�s vulnerability. �No good deed goes unpunished. Hochul looks weak,� he told the New York Post. �Mamdani looks like the head of the Democratic Party in New York, not the governor. This shows the power shift.�

Grassroots activists also piled on. Yiatin Chu of the Asian Wave Alliance wrote on X: �Hochul got played. Mamdani got Hochul�s endorsement. Like sharks, DSA smells blood.�

The governor�s decision to bless Mamdani�s campaign stunned many Democrats, especially in the suburbs and upstate where his brand of socialism is politically toxic. State Democratic Chairman Jay Jacobs, a Hochul ally, flatly said he will not back Mamdani.

The rupture is particularly striking given the pair�s history. Last year, Mamdani excoriated Hochul after she quipped that New York would �obliterate Canada� if attacked, and for condemning Hamas over the Oct. 7 massacre in Israel. Mamdani accused her of �justifying genocide.�

Now, the balance of power within New York�s Democratic Party appears to be tilting. Mamdani�s coalition of Democratic Socialists and young voters propelled him past former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in June�s primary � and could be decisive for Hochul�s own re-election prospects.

�Zohran holds the cards,� one Democratic insider said. �Hochul needs Mamdani�s turnout operation in New York City to win next year.�

Hochul�s campaign brushed aside the flap, saying endorsements would be rolled out �in the coming months.� But for now, her gamble has left her looking isolated and stupid.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)