If Zohran Mamdani is elected mayor and implements the changes he promises, expect the city’s financial condition and public safety to deteriorate rapidly. 

Think criminal bedlam, antisemitic rioters allowed full rein and cutbacks to basic city services.  

In such a crisis, desperate New Yorkers will look to Albany — because under state law, the governor has virtually unlimited power to curb the mayor’s authority, or even remove him, even if no crime has been committed.

It’s a safety valve, if a governor has enough backbone to use it.

The law requires the governor to present grievances against the mayor at a formal hearing before actually removing him from office.

Even so, the governor’s decision is final, not subject to review by any court. The New York State Supreme Court calls it “the naked power of removal.”

In the event a mayor is removed, a special election must be held within 80 days. Until then, the Public Advocate acts as mayor.

The question is: Would Gov. Kathy Hochul have the guts to use her authority to protect the city, or would she sacrifice New Yorkers by pandering to the socialist flank of her party?

Expect this to be a major issue in the 2026 gubernatorial election, when a Republican contender is likely to insist on an answer.

Right now, Hochul is........

© New York Post