ISTANBUL

New York state Governor Kathy Hochul endorsed Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani for mayor of New York City on Sunday.

“New York City deserves a mayor who will stand up to (President) Donald Trump and make life more affordable for New Yorkers,” she announced on the US social media company X’s platform, saying that person was Mamdani.

In an opinion piece for the New York Times detailing why she decided on supporting Mamdani, Hochul said even though she didn’t always align with him, she “needed to know the next mayor would not be someone who would surrender one inch to Donald Trump,” considering the “abhorrent and destructive policies coming out of Washington every day.”

The Democratic governor said she was confident that Mamdani had the courage, urgency and optimism the city needed to lead it through challenges.

“Zohran Mamdani and I will both be fearless in confronting the president’s extreme agenda — with urgency, conviction, and the defiance that defines New York. And we must never allow Mr. Trump to control our city like the king he wants to be. Anyone who accepts his tainted influence, or benefits from it, is compromised from the start,” she said.

Stressing that New York City’s best days lie ahead, Hochul said she was looking forward to working with Mamdani.