The wheels are coming off the socialist bus.
Gov. Kathy Hochul slammed the brakes on supporting Zohran Mamdani’s $700 million call for free city buses — casting doubt that one of the far-left mayor-elect’s signature campaign promises has a smooth road ahead.
Hochul, speaking during a press conference at the SOMOS political retreat in Puerto Rico on Saturday, argued she has already put vast sums of money into the perpetually cash-strapped MTA for major projects.
“We’re spending a lot of money, so I cannot set forth a plan right now that takes money out of a system that relies on the fares of the buses and the subways,” she said.
“But can we find a path to make it more affordable for people who need help? Of course we can.”
Mamdani avoided a straight answer over apparently being at odds with Hochul on buses.
“I continue to be excited at the work of making the slowest buses in America fast and free,” he said Monday, during an unrelated press conference. “And I appreciate the governor’s continued partnership in delivering on that agenda of affordability.”
The cautious bus route outlined by Hochul is the latest split the moderate Democratic governor has had with Mamdani, a Democratic socialist, since she endorsed him in September.
Hochul happily rode Mamdani’s coattails as he whipped up excitement among New Yorkers for his focus on affordability, but she has balked at much of his actual agenda — notably, taxing the rich to pay for $10 billion in freebies such as no-cost child care and buses without fares.
The governor’s guarded approach could spell problems for Mamdani, as his grand plans largely require support from both Hochul and lawmakers in Albany.
The two top Dems in the state Legislature — House Speaker Carl Heastie and Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins — have been significantly more open to helping Mamdani deliver his core campaign promises.
Mamdani’s supporters have taken notice of Hochul’s hesitancy and twice recently chanted “Tax the rich” at her, clearly irking the governor.
“The more you push me, the more I’m not going to do what you want,” Hochul told a SOMOS crowd.
But Hochul didn’t fully reject Mamdani’s socialist dreams.
As she urged caution on buses, the governor repeated that she wants to work with Mamdani on delivering free child care — although she hinted that delivering it could take years and billions of dollars.
“We’ll be on a path to get there, because I’m committed to this as ‘mom governor’ — I get it,” she said.
“But also to do it statewide, right now, it’s about $15 billion — the entire amount of my reserves.”
After the SOMOS conference, Hochul jetted off to the Dominican Republic, where she attended a breakfast celebrating a “cross cultural” exchange.
Hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers have ties to the Dominican Republic, making it a sizable voting bloc for Hochul to court as she seeks re-election in 2026.
Additional reporting by Hannah Fierick
