Governor Kathy Hochul’s endorsement of Assemblyman and New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, one of the most radical socialists in New York politics, is a reflection of her own failed record in office. Mamdani has built his career on divisive rhetoric, openly targeting Jewish New Yorkers and mainstream Americans. Hochul’s embrace of his candidacy shows how little regard she has for outcomes, results, or the families her policies left behind.

Hochul’s record as governor was not defined by safer communities, improved schools, or stronger infrastructure. Instead, she poured billions of taxpayer dollars into Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives that undermined standards and failed to deliver academic progress.

DEI was not a side project during her tenure — it became the framework of state education policy. Hiring, curricula, and funding decisions were shaped less by merit or achievement and more by racial, gender, and identity politics.

The consequences of this shift were staggering. In the 2025 “People’s Budget,” Hochul directed millions into projects with no measurable benefit for students. She approved $8 million for race-based teacher recruitment, $250,000 for ideological classroom programming, and $3 million for a DEI museum exhibit in the Adirondacks.

These expenditures reflected a governing philosophy that valued political statements over academic recovery. Merit-based scholarships and opportunities for college preparation were increasingly restricted by demographic quotas.

Teachers were hired for who they were rather than what they could accomplish in the classroom. Lesson plans emphasized grievance-based frameworks instead of critical thinking, civic knowledge, or math and reading fundamentals.

The consequences of Hochul’s failed policies are horrifying. Fewer than half of New York students are proficient in reading and math. In New York City, which spends over $40,000 per student — the highest per-pupil figure of any major city in America — academic performance continues to decline.

Chronic absenteeism has risen, and many school buildings are in disrepair. Families repeatedly called for stronger academics, safer schools, and up-to-date materials, yet their concerns were brushed aside in favor of symbolic politics.

Even warnings from Washington that race-based DEI policies could put as much as $2 billion in federal education funding at risk were disregarded. Hochul made clear that ideology mattered more than results.

Her endorsement of Mamdani confirms this outlook. Mamdani’s slogans about “decolonizing” New York fit neatly with the priorities Hochul established as governor. Both treat politics as more important than outcomes and identity as more important than merit.

By aligning herself with Mamdani, Hochul has shown she is not interested in reversing course but in doubling down on the very policies that weakened the state’s schools and left students behind.

Students remain trapped in classrooms where ideology outweighs academics, while parents watch their children fall further behind despite historic levels of spending. Taxpayers continue to fund projects that divide communities without producing measurable improvement. What Hochul calls progress is, in reality, the steady erosion of standards that once made New York’s schools competitive.

New Yorkers should understand what Hochul’s endorsement means. It is an endorsement of a shared governing vision — one where identity politics replaces merit, and slogans replace achievement. Hochul paved the way for Mamdani by normalizing policies that put ideology above education.

For parents, students, and taxpayers, the choice is clear: accept a future defined by failure, or demand accountability before another generation is lost.