(The Center Square) — Top New York Democrats are being criticized by former Republican Gov. George Pataki for refusing to speak out about New York City mayoral candidate Zorhan Mamdani’s socialist agenda for the nation’s largest city.
The former three-term governor ripped Gov. Kathy Hochul, Senate Democratic Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries in a radio interview as “spineless” for refusing to take a stand on Mamdani. He’s a state lawmaker from Queens leading in the polls after winning the June 24 Democratic mayoral primary.
“You can’t really have a party that stands for anything when you have a Marxist running, and the three main leaders in New York of the Democratic Party – Jeffries, Schumer and Hochul – are all hiding in the weeds,” Pataki told ABC 770 AM radio on Sunday. “Where is the leadership? Are you going to support this left-wing antisemite? Or are you going to stand up for common sense? They’re afraid to do it. We can’t let them get away with it.”
Pataki also singled out mainstream media outlets for not keeping pressure on the state’s top Democratic leaders to stake out their positions on Mamdani’s mayoral bid.
Mamdani’s primary win sent shockwaves through New York’s political establishment and garnered national attention from Republicans who have criticized the city’s dramatic shift to the left.
To be sure, Hochul and other New York Democrats have met with Mandani and some have suggested they oppose his plans to push for a wealth tax in New York City to cover the cost of free bus service, “tuition-free” college, and other proposals.
But Pataki said top Democrats need to “show leadership” and push back against Mamdani’s “far-left agenda” that he said would be devastating for the Big Apple’s economy.
He said GOP mayoral nominee Curtis Sliwa has the best shot to defeat Mamdani in the Nov. 4 general election. Incumbent Mayor Eric Adams and ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo both are running on independent ballot lines.
“I still think Curtis Sliwa can win this race,” Pataki said. “No one knows this city better than him. He has a major party line. I don’t think this race is over by a long shot.”
