The Democratic Socialists of America ripped Gov. Kathy Hochul on Friday as a puppet for billionaires — breaking from its fellow comrade, Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who supported the Empire State leader.
The Big Apple’s DSA chapter assailed Hochul for siding “with her billionaire donors while offering working-class New Yorkers crumbs” as it ramped up pressure on the moderate Dem to raise taxes on the wealthiest.
The scathing statement came a day after Mamdani endorsed her in the 2026 governor’s race.
“NYC-DSA does not believe that Governor Kathy Hochul has risen to meet this moment, in which working people face unprecedented threats,” the comrades complained.
“As Governor, she has consistently sided with her billionaire donors while offering working-class New Yorkers crumbs. And in a moment of historic threats to working people, the Governor has no answer in this year’s budget for the millions who will lose healthcare and SNAP in the years to come.”
Hochul has repeatedly made clear she has no plans to raise taxes this year, which could hamstring Mamdani’s freebie-filled agenda and make it harder to fill a $12 billion city budget gap.
Hizzoner, in his endorsement of Hochul, noted that he and the governor didn’t agree on whether to tax the ultra-wealthy – but said the two have had a productive partnership so far.
“Governor Hochul has demonstrated time and again that she will only prioritize the needs of working-class New Yorkers when she is forced,” the DSA said in its statement.
The DSA accused Hochul of compromising with Republicans to win elections, saying she’s focused on “keeping donors happy and letting the working class take on the mounting costs.”
“Zohran’s election proves that New Yorkers are no longer satisfied with this kind of leadership and are ready to demand a vision of government for working people,” the DSA said.
Mamdani catapulted to the front of a crowded Democratic primary before winning the mayor’s office last year with the support of the city’s DSA, of which he is a member.
A coalition of progressive organizations, including the DSA, is expected to urge state leaders to raise taxes on the wealthy and offer a state budget that alleviates the affordability crunch during a march in Albany scheduled for February 25.
While Hochul expectedly did not receive the DSA’s blessing on Friday, all 19 House Democratic lawmakers in the Empire State, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, endorsed Hochul on Friday.
Hochul is set to face her own lieutenant governor, Antonio Delgado, in a Democratic primary in June, with the former Hudson Valley House representative running to the left of the governor.
The presumed GOP candidate in the race is Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman.