Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, one of the three key Albany leaders, said he is “wholy supportive” of Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani’s affordability agenda on Tuesday, adding he’s “not concerned” that moderate Gov. Kathy Hochul will prevent it from being passed.
Heastie made the remarks after endorsing the democratic socialist Mamdani’s frontrunner City Hall campaign at a Wednesday morning news conference in his northern Bronx district, following a reporter’s question.
Specifically, he said he supports Mamdani’s proposals for making city buses free and expanding universal no-cost child care, both of which need state approval and funding.
“I’m wholly supportive of those two initiatives,” Heastie told reporters.
He added that he is not “I’m not anticipating a fight” with Hochul.
“In my conversations with the governor, she wants to expand universal child care,” Heastie said. “In the past, she was supportive of free buses. So, I’m not anticipating a fight. And I’m sure those are things that Zohran and the governor have spoken about, and I’m sure we’ll figure it out.”
The speaker did not mention Mamdani’s plan to freeze rents for the city’s nearly one million stabilized tenants — a pledge that does not need Albany’s approval.
Heastie’s backing of Mamdani comes just two days after Hochul herself endorsed his candidacy after months of sitting on the fence. She said that while she does not agree with Mamdani across the board, they both see affordability as the most important issue to tackle at this moment.
Both Heastie’s and Hochul’s support signals that the Democratic establishment is finally rallying around the democratic socialist Mamdani, as he appears likely to defeat a crowded general election field. He is vying against independents, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, and incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, as well as Republican Curtis Sliwa.
Tax increase on wealthy?
However, Mamdani has proposed raising taxes on both corporations and millionaires to pay for his signature policy items, something the govenror has said she has no intention of approving.
The Democratic nominee has proposed raising the state corporate tax rate to 11.5% and hiking levies on those making over $1 million annually by 2%. However, the state Legislature and governor would need to approve a bill authorizing such an increase.
Heastie, who has supported raising taxes on the wealthy in the past, said he believes there will be a “robust discussion” on the subject over the coming year, when Hochul and the state legislature are up for reelection.
“Well, I’ll tell you this: Millionaire taxes poll extremely well,” Heastie said. “In the Assembly, we’re just one leg of the tripod. Of course, the governor’s opinion matters and the [state] Senate’s opinion matters.”
Raising taxes would also need buy-in from state Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins.
The governor, for her part, told reporters on Tuesday that she had not changed her position on the subject when asked if her endorsement meant she had.
“No, I think if you read what I wrote very carefully, there were certain areas where I said I disagree with him,” Hochul said of her endorsement, which was in a New York Times op-ed. “I will always continue to reserve the right to disagree.”
Mamdani expressed that while he views hiking taxes as the best way to raise revenue, he is also open to other methods.
“If there are other means by which to find that revenue, the most important thing is what we fund, not how we fund it,” Mamdani said during the Wednesday event.
Political experts widely anticipate that one of Mamdani’s greatest challenges as mayor will be getting Albany on board with raising taxes on high incomeearners to fund his expansion of city services. Having Heastie’s support, however, could give Mamdani a powerful boost in clearing that potential hurdle.
