Key facts
- Mamdani's video supports Hochul's reelection bid against Blakeman.
- Blakeman has criticized Hochul and Mamdani's policies on child care and Medicaid.
- Blakeman's campaign has linked Hochul to Mamdani, who is a polarizing figure.
- Blakeman released an AI-generated ad criticizing the pair's handling of affordability issues.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani released a social media video Thursday endorsing Governor Kathy Hochul and criticizing her Republican opponent, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman. The video, released more than a week before early voting begins, marks Mamdani's first tangible support for Hochul's reelection bid since his February endorsement. The video knocks Blakeman for deriding Hochul and Mamdani's shared push for expanding no-cost child care and his pledge to cut Medicaid spending in half. Hochul's campaign did not say if the video would be used as a paid ad.