‘Tax the rich’ chant breaks out as Gov. Hochul takes the stage at Zohran Mamdani, NY AG Letitia James event


SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — It’s the Zoh show.

Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani jetted down to Puerto Rico for the annual SOMOS political retreat, where he basked in his victory by co-hosting a cocktail reception Thursday with embattled ally Attorney General Letitia James.

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Chants of “tax the rich” broke out as Gov. Kathy Hochul took the stage at the DC 37 union event that had to be moved outside the El Caribe Hilton to accommodate the more than 200 attendees.

“The more you push me, the more I’m not going to do what you want,” quipped Hochul, who showed at the Mamdani reception after giving remarks at a separate event celebrating Empire State tourism.


New York Attorney General Letitia James (R) speaks to the media during a campaign event for Democratic New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani (L) on November 1, 2025 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City.
Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani will host a cocktail reception at the SOMOS conference with his ally Letitia James. Getty Images

New York State Governor Kathy Hochul addresses supporters during a legislative leadership reception at the 2022 SOMOS conference on Friday, Nov. 11, 2022 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
The event overlaps with an event hosted by Gov. Kathy Hochul. James Keivom

The dual Hochul and Mamdani events underscored the dynamics at the tropical conference, an annual event where New York state Democrats booze, schmooze and cut deals.

Mamdani entered the retreat as the triumphant, history-making mayor-elect intent on reshaping New York City and the Democratic Party in his democratic socialist image.

But his dreamy vision of a progressive Big Apple likely still needs the support of Hochul, a Mamdani backer who has nonetheless stubbornly rejected supporting his calls to raise taxes on the wealthy.

She was also confronted with chants of “Tax the rich” when she spoke at a pro-Mamdani rally in Queens that featured lefty stars Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Bernie Sanders shortly before Tuesday’s election.

While in San Juan, the soon-to-be-mayor will be rubbing shoulders with Albany Democrats, who have shown growing signs they’re warming to hiking taxes on the rich to pay for Mamdani’s $10 billion agenda.

Mamdani’s supporters have also signaled they’ll back primary challenges against Dems who don’t support his socialist agenda.

City Council Democrats could also help or hinder Mamdani’s agenda, depending on if a progressive or a moderate Dem becomes speaker.

Behind-the-scenes at SOMOS, moderate Julie Menin (D-Manhattan) and Mamdani ally Crystal Hudson (D-Brooklyn) are duking it out for the speaker spot.

The confab has seen newly minted mayor-elects attend with the political wind at their back one year, only to have them abruptly change the next: just ask Eric Adams.

Adams flew off to SOMOS in 2021 fresh off his mayoral win to hobnob with Hochul, James and other power players.

Two years later, Adams famously shunned the conference as his troubled administration faced never-ending scandals and hints of a federal probe that ultimately led to his federal indictment.

Mamdani plans to stay at the four-day retreat until Saturday.


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