Zohran Mamdani's ascension has reoriented the power center of New York's Democratic Party towards its progressive wing. Want proof? On a chilly Sunday night in Forest Hills, as part of his massive rally alongside Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the democratic socialist Mamdani had the top three state-level Democrats, all centrists, take the stage to sing his praises and help push him to victory next Tuesday.
Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins had already done press conferences with Mamdani, announcing their support for parts of his agenda that need state approval: taxing the rich, creating universal child care, and making MTA buses free.
But Governor Kathy Hochul, a surprise addition to the rally who led Heastie and Stewart-Cousins onto the stage at Forest Hills Stadium, had not committed to any of those priorities yet. Her endorsement of Mamdani via a New York Times op-ed had only committed to addressing affordability in the state. That was before Hochul faced a packed crowd of almost 13,000 people on Sunday, however—all of them volunteers for the Mamdani campaign.