NEW YORK - During his 2025 campaign, Zohran Mamdani made three bold promises to New Yorkers: free buses, a rent freeze and childcare for all. Now, the mayor-elect told FOX 5 NY's Morgan McKay that he and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul are closing in on a plan to make one of these pledges a reality.
What they're saying:
"The governor has said that 2026 is the year of childcare ... We're going into fiscal year 2027, and we want to continue to deliver on the agenda that we ran on. I'm excited when we're speaking with the governor because there's a recognition from both of us on the need for universal childcare," Mamdani said in this week's episode of Politics Unusual.
The backstory:
The relationship between Big Apple mayor and Empire State governor is historically fraught, marked by political rivalries and bitter feuds. Yet Mamdani emphasized that his early conversations with Hochul have been marked by cooperation rather than conflict because the two leaders have "a clear alignment of the importance of delivering on universal childcare and on an affordability agenda."
"The feeling I've gotten from the governor [in meetings] is one of actual partnership. And I wish it wasn't so remarkable to say," he said.
In the past, Hochul has pledged to work against some of Mamdani's proposals, such as raising taxes on high-income New Yorkers, but Mamdani says he's open to exploring "additional or alternate revenue sources" to pay for his plans.
"I really do see the possibility for us to both defend New Yorkers from a federal administration that has been looking to go after them time and time again," he said.
You can watch Mamdani's full Politics Unusual at 6:30 p.m. on FOX 5 and the FOX LOCAL New York app and channel, available wherever you stream.
Dig deeper:
In this week's interview, McKay and Mamdani also discuss:
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Each week on Politics Unusual, FOX 5 NY political reporter Morgan McKay breaks down the week's biggest local and national political headlines. Tune in at 6:30 p.m. Fridays on FOX 5 and FOX LOCAL New York, and watch full episodes on the FOX LOCAL app and our YouTube page.