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The wheels are coming off the socialist bus.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is tapping the brakes on Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s $700 million plan for free city buses, casting early doubt on one of the far-left lawmaker’s biggest campaign promises, The New York Post reported.
Speaking at the SOMOS political retreat in Puerto Rico on Saturday, Hochul said she’s already spent heavily to support the city’s struggling MTA and questioned how much further the state could go.
“I continue to be excited at the work of making the slowest buses in America fast and free,” Mamdani said Monday during an unrelated press conference. “And I appreciate the governor’s continued partnership in delivering on that agenda of affordability.”
But Hochul’s comments in San Juan marked the latest break between the moderate Democratic governor and Mamdani, the Democratic socialist she endorsed just two months ago.
Hochul happily rode Mamdani’s coattails during the campaign as he energized progressives with promises of affordability and social programs, but she has shown far less enthusiasm for actually paying for them.
The governor has rejected several of Mamdani’s cornerstone ideas, including proposals to raise taxes on wealthy New Yorkers to fund $10 billion in new benefits like free child care and fareless transit.
Her caution could create a serious roadblock for the incoming mayor, whose ambitious plans rely on support from Albany to move forward.
The top two Democratic leaders in the state Legislature — Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins — have signaled more willingness to help Mamdani pursue his agenda.
That divide leaves Hochul increasingly isolated from the party’s energized left flank, which has been openly pressuring her to embrace higher taxes on the rich.
During recent public appearances, activists have twice interrupted the governor with chants of “Tax the rich,” drawing a sharp rebuke.
“The more you push me, the more I’m not going to do what you want,” Hochul told the SOMOS crowd in response.
Still, Hochul did not fully reject Mamdani’s wish list.
She said she’s open to working with him on expanding free child care, though she made clear it would be an expensive and long-term goal.
“We’ll be on a path to get there, because I’m committed to this as ‘mom governor’ — I get it,” Hochul said.
“But also to do it statewide, right now, it’s about $15 billion — the entire amount of my reserves.”
The cautious tone was a reality check for Mamdani, who has portrayed himself as the champion of “everyday New Yorkers” and promised to make the city more affordable through massive new public spending.
Hochul’s remarks also came as she continues her own political maneuvering ahead of a likely 2026 re-election bid.
After the SOMOS conference, she flew to the Dominican Republic to attend a breakfast celebrating cross-cultural exchange — an event seen as an appeal to one of New York’s largest and most influential immigrant voting blocs.
Hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers trace family roots to the Dominican Republic, making the outreach a politically savvy move for a governor seeking to rebuild her base while keeping the party’s left wing at arm’s length.
Whether Hochul and Mamdani can maintain their uneasy alliance may determine not only the future of free buses and child care, but also the balance of power within the New York Democratic Party.
Zohran Mamdani: The Grassroots Progressive Making Noise in New York Politics
Zohran Kwame Mamdani may not yet be a household name like his close ally Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, but within New York’s political circles, he’s become one of the most dynamic young voices of the progressive movement.
Born in Kampala, Uganda, in 1991 to a Ugandan mother and an Indian father — the acclaimed writer and academic Mahmood Mamdani — Zohran moved to the U.S. as a child and grew up in New York City. Before entering politics, he worked as a housing counselor and tenant organizer, helping low-income residents navigate the city’s notoriously tough housing system. That background deeply shaped his political philosophy: people-first, anti-corporate, and rooted in community empowerment.
In 2020, Mamdani made his own political splash when he won election to represent New York’s 36th Assembly District, which includes parts of Astoria in Queens. Like AOC before him, his victory over an establishment-backed incumbent symbolized the growing strength of New York’s left-wing movement, driven by grassroots energy and progressive ideals.
Since taking office, Mamdani has been an outspoken advocate for housing justice, public transit reform, and economic equity. He’s championed policies like “Good Cause Eviction” — a tenant protection bill that would limit unfair rent hikes and evictions — and has pushed for expanding public housing funding while taxing wealthy developers and corporations.
Mamdani is also a key member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), working alongside figures like Ocasio-Cortez and State Senator Julia Salazar to reshape New York’s political landscape. His activism extends beyond Albany: he’s often seen at rallies for Palestinian rights, climate justice, and labor movements, reflecting a deeply intersectional approach to politics.
What sets Zohran Mamdani apart is his mix of policy seriousness and cultural fluency. On social media, he engages directly with constituents, mixing humor, community updates, and political education. He’s part of a new wave of leaders who are redefining what it means to hold office — less about hierarchy, more about humanity.
As he continues to grow his influence within New York’s progressive ranks, Mamdani represents a broader generational shift — one that blends activism with policymaking and treats politics not as a career, but as a community mission.