Hochul Teases New Taxes to Fund Universal Childcare — With Mamdani Standing at Her Side in Puerto Rico
Gov. Kathy Hochul, who campaigned on no new taxes, told reporters at the Somos conference in Puerto Rico on Friday that she is willing to do 'what has to happen' to keep universal childcare funded for 'generations to come' — and promised the path forward at the 2027 State of the State, as Mayor Zohran Mamdani stood beside her holding to his 'tax the rich' position.
The question was narrow — how does New York keep paying for universal childcare after the current funding runs to 2028 — and the governor's answer opened a much larger door. Speaking to reporters Friday at the Somos political conference in Puerto Rico, Gov. Kathy Hochul said she was open to new taxes to sustain the program she shares with Mayor Zohran Mamdani. 'When we have a severe need for something extraordinary, I am willing to do what has to happen,' she said, in the account read by this desk.
Hochul framed the openness as governing, not ideology. 'I think you'll see a thoughtful approach to this, it is not ideological, it's pragmatic and what we need to do is deliver for the people to put us in office,' she said. Pressed for specifics, she gave none: 'there's no answers on it yet,' she said, promising instead that 'we'll be announcing our path forward' — 'stay tuned for the state of the state, 2027.' Her stated aim, in her words, is sustainability: 'I want to make sure that we have a path forward that is sustainable. We fully fund childcare, and this is how we work to provide for generations to come.'
Mamdani, who stood at her side, did not move off his own ground. Asked about raising taxes on the wealthy, the mayor said: 'I've always been clear about where I stand, I continue to hold those positions, and I'm also looking forward to continuing a productive working relationship with our governor to deliver for working people.' The alliance is the week's political fact in New York: the moderate governor, re-elected Tuesday by 20 points over Republican Bruce Blakeman after campaigning on no new taxes, and the democratic-socialist mayor whose allies are pressing for hikes after the Democrats' midterm sweep.
Nothing was decided in San Juan, and this desk reports it that way: no tax was named, no rate was floated, and no spending cut was addressed. What changed is the governor's public position — from a campaign pledge against new taxes to a stated willingness, on the record, to consider them for this one program. The next dated step is hers: the 2027 State of the State, where she says the path forward will be announced.
