After Gov. Hochul finally endorsed him for mayor over the weekend, Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani declined to immediately return the favor Monday by backing her own reelection bid.

“My focus is on November,” Mamdani, a democratic socialist, told reporters when asked if he would endorse Hochul for a second term ahead of her 2026 reelection battle. “And I’m excited to have the governor’s support in that fight for November as we make it clear that that we can put the days of City Hall and Albany being at war in the past.”

Mamdani’s dodge came a day after Hochul, a moderate Democrat, formally endorsed him Sunday after declining to do so for weeks. Hochul’s endorsement put pressure on other top New York Democrats to back Mamdani, including U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and

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