Senator Bernie Sanders on Sunday called on Gov. Kathy Hochul to raise taxes on the wealthiest New Yorkers, backing a push by Mayor Zohran Mamdani and other leaders on the left as negotiations intensify over the state budget.
“I would ask Governor Hochul, ‘Listen to where the people are at,’” Mr. Sanders said at a rally at Lehman College in the Bronx that drew at least 2,000 people.
“The people of the city, the people of this state, the people of this country, they do not want to see our kids go hungry,” he added. “They do not want people to sleep out on the street or lack health care. They want the very rich to start paying their fair share of taxes.”
Mr. Mamdani, a democratic socialist who campaigned on taxing the wealthy to help fund his ambitious social agenda, did not attend the rally, having told event organizers that he wanted to avoid antagonizing Ms. Hochul ahead of the state budget deadline on Wednesday. The governor has consistently opposed raising income taxes, saying she is concerned that it would push wealthy individuals to leave the state. Pro-business groups like the Partnership for New York City have taken a similar stance.
John Yanong, 19, a sophomore at Baruch College who voted for Mr. Mamdani in November — his first time casting a ballot — said he was not surprised by the mayor’s absence.
“He has to represent the entire sentiment of the city, including millionaires,” said Mr. Yanong, who studies law and policy. “He has to create this balancing game. He’s playing it safe for now.”
The mayor’s proposal would affect roughly 34,000 households in New York City that earn $1 million a year or more. He has framed his proposal as a two-percentage-point increase in income taxes on those New Yorkers, to 5.88 percent from 3.88 percent. That translates to a tax rise of just over 51 percent, or a $20,000 increase for someone earning $1 million.
On Sunday, Mr. Sanders, an independent from Vermont who has been a key ally to the mayor, sought to sway Ms. Hochul and other New York State leaders who have opposed some of Mr. Mamdani’s proposals, which also include a corporate tax increase. As he spoke, many in the crowd jumped from their seats and whooped in agreement. Some waved signs that read, “Hochul, which side are you on?” and “Hochul, tax the rich.”
Jen Goodman, a spokeswoman for Ms. Hochul, declined to comment on Mr. Sanders’s remarks. Budget negotiations in New York often continue well past the April 1 deadline.
Mr. Sanders has traveled across the United States in recent months to push for tax increases on wealthy Americans. In Los Angeles last month, he voiced his support for a proposed one-time 5 percent tax on California billionaires’ net worth. Earlier this month, Mr. Sanders introduced legislation that would establish a national 5 percent annual wealth tax on billionaires.
On Sunday morning, the line to hear the senator’s speech stretched at least a quarter-mile.
Jervine Samuel, 74, a Bronx resident who waited for nearly two hours, said she had voted for Mr. Mamdani in large part because of his proposal to increase millionaires’ taxes by two percentage points.
But, she said, “he can only do so much” if the governor is not willing to budge. “I don’t think it’s going to happen,” she added.
Andreea Gray, 46, of Valley Stream on Long Island, said it was the third time in a year she had attended a rally where Mr. Sanders spoke.
The last was at a stadium in Queens just before the mayoral election, where Ms. Hochul also appeared in support of Mr. Mamdani. When the governor began to speak, Ms. Gray said, she belted out, “Tax the rich.”
The governor’s remarks were drowned out by the chant. She replied, “All right, I can hear you.”
“We were not happy with her and we made it known,” Ms. Gray said. “I think Gov. Kathy Hochul could really do well to listen to her constituents.”
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