Hochul’s bombshell Zohran Mamdani endorsement was aimed to block lefty challenge in Democratic primary: sources

No freebies for Kathy. Gov. Kathy Hochul seemingly got little-to-nothing in exchange for her bombshell endorsement Sunday of socialist mayoral hopeful Zohran Mamdani — except to appease the far-left in a desperate attempt to stave off a real primary challenge next year, insiders said. Hochul likely will have Mamdani’s endorsement in the Democratic primary, where she faces a challenge from her estranged Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado, sources said. One Democratic operative called Hochul’s endorsement — which failed to sway some prominent Dem holdouts and took some business leaders by surprise — “inevitable” given the political calculus. “It’s a calculated political...