All eyes will be on New York City's incoming mayor and the president when they meet at the White House Friday. It should be quite interesting — and brings into sharp relief how after Zohran Mamdani's unlikely rise and stunning victory, reliably blue New York State now arguably lies squarely at the crossroads of the country's political, ideological and cultural struggles going into 2026 and beyond.

Let me explain.

Next year we’ll likely see Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul facing off against either Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik or newly reelected Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman . While Mamdani and President Donald Trump’s names won't be on the ballot, rest assured they and their political movements will take center stage in the election.

Adding it up, that means the 2026 New York r

See Full Page