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New York’s top three Dem leaders are “hiding in the weeds” by refusing to say whether they support socialist Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani for mayor, ex-Gov. George Pataki said Sunday.
The Republican former three-term governor singled out Gov. Kathy Hochul, US Senate Democratic Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries as spineless for refusing to take a stand on Mamdani, who he labeled a Marxist and antisemite.
“The mainstream media is not asking Jeffries, is not asking Schumer, is not asking Hochul, ‘Are you for Mamdani or not?’ Give us an answer. Don’t hide. They are all hiding,” Pataki said on WABC 770 AM The “Cats Roundtable” program.
“You can’t really have a party that stands for anything when you have a Marxist running, and the three main leaders in New York of the Democratic Party – Jeffries, Schumer and Hochul – are all hiding in the weeds. Make them come out of the weeds. Are you for [Mamdani] or not?”
Pataki said the Democratic leaders may feel they’re in a “no-win” situation, but they can’t forever duck the Mamdani question.
“If they endorse Mamdani, they have endorsed an antisemite Marxist. If they don’t endorse him, then they’re going to get primaried by all these left-wing radicals,” he told host John Catsimatidis.
Courage is required in this extraordinary situation, the former governor said.
“Where is the leadership? Are you going to support this left-wing antisemite? Or are you going to stand up for common sense? They’re afraid to do it. We can’t let them get away with it,” Pataki said of Hochul, Schumer and Jeffries.
Some critics claim Mamdani is antisemitic for backing the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement against Israel, the world’s only Jewish state. The Democratic mayoral candidate has said opposing the Zionist state is not antisemitic and that he would fight against Jew hatred as mayor.
Jeffries, a congressman from Brooklyn who could become the next House speaker if Democrats win back the chamber in next year’s midterm elections, met with Mamdani on Friday.
A Jeffries spokesman said the meeting was constructive but did not elaborate.
Schumer said he has spoken with Mamdani and will meet with him.
Hochul has spoken with Mamdani since his primary victory and suggested she opposes his plan to hike taxes on millionaires and corporations by a combined $9 billion to back his agenda for fare-free buses, universal extended child care and the expansion of affordable housing. Both of his proposed tax increases require Albany’s approval, and Hochul and state legislators are up for re-election next year.
The Republican National Committee is already posting old clips of controversial statements made by Mamdani about seizing private property and questioning the purpose of jails and prisons.
Pataki claimed Republican mayoral nominee and Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa has the best shot to defeat Mamdani. Incumbent Mayor Eric Adams and ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo both are running on independent ballot lines.
“I still think Curtis Sliwa can win this race. No one knows this city better than him. He will qualify for matching funds. … He’ll have a few million to make the case. He has a major party line,” Pataki said.
“What these polls don’t show is that both Cuomo and Adams don’t have a party line. They’re running on created-by-petition parties. No one has ever won without having a major party line,” the ex-gov said.
