Influential GOP donor and billionaire grocer John Catsimatidis is signaling a surprising dtente with Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, telling New York conservatives they should work with the incoming socialist administration rather than attempt to block it.
Catsimatidis who just weeks ago blasted Mamdanis election as a threat to the city hosted a roundtable Monday at his WABC radio studios alongside Republican heavyweights including former NYPD Chief of Department John Chell and former GOP mayoral candidate Fernando Mateo. Despite earlier billing the group as a watchdog operation aimed at monitoring City Hall, Catsimatidis abruptly shifted tone at the event, reframing the effort as a collaboration with Mamdani.
The one thing that we all hold in common is that we all love New York and we want New York to thrive like it always has, Catsimatidis said.
The supermarket magnate has been a fierce critic of Mamdani, warning after Election Day that the city could spiral under a far-left agenda. But with the transition underway, he now says conservatives must focus on making the administration successful, not obstructing it.
Chell, long considered one of the NYPDs toughest voices on crime, warned there would still be battles ahead. We have to keep working, we have to be funded, and we have to protect this city, because without public safety, we dont have any of this, he said, hinting at looming debates over policing policy as Mamdani pushes reforms and stands up his proposed Department of Community Safety.
Business leaders at the panel also struck a cautiously cooperative tone. Kathryn Wylde, president and CEO of the influential Partnership for New York City, said she was encouraged by parts of Mamdanis agenda. Were excited about the affordability agenda. I think particularly with regard to housing and childcare, Wylde said. Still, she reiterated corporate unease over new taxes on wealthy New Yorkers and major companies.
I think all of us recognize that additional government spending and raising taxes just increases unaffordability in New York, she said, signaling that the citys business establishment is willing to negotiate funding strategies as long as Mamdani walks carefully.
Asked about the event at a separate press conference, Mamdani welcomed the shift from his former antagonists. Ive spoken with John in the past. I look forward to seeing him in Marty Supreme, the mayor-elect quipped, referencing Catsimatidis cameo in a forthcoming film. He added that he is focused on building an administration that will deliver on the needs of every single person that makes the city their home.
(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
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