Former New York Governor George Pataki sharply criticized the state’s top Democratic leaders on Sunday, accusing them of avoiding a public stance on Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani, whose insurgent candidacy has divided the party and complicated the political calculus for Democratic heavyweights ahead of a contentious general election.
Speaking during a radio appearance on WABC’s “Cats Roundtable,” Pataki lambasted Governor Kathy Hochul, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries for what he described as calculated silence. “The mainstream media is not asking Jeffries, is not asking Schumer, is not asking Hochul, ‘Are you for Mamdani or not?’” Pataki said. “They are all hiding.”
Calling Mamdani “an antisemite” and “a Marxist,” Pataki framed the silence of Democratic leaders as a political dodge, arguing that the party is trapped between alienating its moderate base or igniting further rebellion from the energized left wing. “They are afraid to alienate the radical left,” he added, “but they are also afraid to endorse someone this extreme.”
Zohran Mamdani, a 33-year-old assemblyman from Queens and Democratic Socialist, secured the Democratic mayoral nomination in a stunning upset, propelled by a youth-driven progressive movement. His platform calls for a freeze on rent hikes, free childcare, fare-free buses, and a $9 billion tax increase targeting the wealthy and large corporations. Mamdani’s policy proposals have attracted significant attention from national progressive figures, including Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who have endorsed his campaign.
But within New York’s Democratic establishment, enthusiasm is more muted. While all three top Democrats have met privately with Mamdani, none has formally endorsed him. Governor Hochul is said to harbor concerns about the feasibility of his proposed tax plan. Schumer and Jeffries have described their conversations with Mamdani as constructive, but have refrained from giving public support.
Mamdani’s refusal to distance himself from controversial slogans such as “globalize the intifada,” and his support for the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, have drawn strong rebukes from Jewish advocacy groups and pro-Israel Democrats. Critics within the party worry that Mamdani’s candidacy could fuel perceptions of ideological extremism at a time when Democrats are aiming to reclaim moderate voters lost in recent cycles.
The political impasse has become more pronounced as several prominent Democrats in the state legislature and congressional delegation have withheld their endorsements. Of the 12 Democratic members of New York’s congressional delegation, only a handful have made statements on the race, and most remain undecided or publicly noncommittal.
The mayoral race itself has been further complicated by the entrance of two independent candidates: former Governor Andrew Cuomo, seeking a political comeback, and incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, who is running as a centrist alternative after losing the Democratic primary. Curtis Sliwa, a conservative talk radio host and founder of the Guardian Angels, has secured the Republican nomination and is hoping to consolidate right-leaning and disaffected centrist voters.
Pataki, who governed New York from 1995 to 2006, suggested that the fractured nature of the race gives Sliwa an unexpected path to victory. “Cuomo and Adams are not on major party lines, and that creates a rare window,” he said. “If Mamdani remains the only organized party candidate, voters may look for stability elsewhere.”
The silence from party leadership underscores deeper ideological rifts within the Democratic Party, particularly between establishment moderates and insurgent progressives who have gained momentum in urban districts. Analysts say the outcome of the mayoral election could set the tone for future intra-party battles, particularly in high-stakes elections nationwide in 2026 and 2028.
As the campaign accelerates, Democratic leaders remain caught in a delicate balancing act—trying to maintain party unity while grappling with a candidate whose rhetoric and proposals challenge the status quo. Whether they break their silence could define not just this election, but the future contours of the party in New York and beyond.
NYC Journals 