Gov. Kathy Hochul said she’s bullish on Zohran Mamdani and strongly hinted that she plans to make a big splash in 2026 by pushing to enact a multi-billion dollar taxpayer-funded universal child care program — a priority for the incoming socialist mayor.

“I think he [Mamdani] is going to surprise a lot of people,” Democrat Hochul said Sunday on 77 WABC the “Cats Roundtable” radio program.

“Everybody — let’s give him a chance,” she said.

She said she has a “good relationship” with Mamdani, as does President Trump, despite disagreements.

But Democrat Hochul, who is seeking re-election to a second four-year term next year, said “there’s an awful lot of alignment” between her and democratic socialist Mamdani — particularly citing universal child care.

“Affordability and driving down the cost of living in this great city,” she told host John Catsimatidis.

Hochul telegraphed that she’ll make state-funded universal child care a key part of her 2026 policy agenda, which she has discussed at length with Mamdani.

Mamdani proposed to pay for his $6 billion “no-cost” childcare for every New Yorker aged 6 weeks to 5 years by raising taxes on corporations and boosting incomes on the top 1% of income earners, generating an estimated $9 billion combined.

“[Mamdani] and I have had many meetings — individually and with our staff — to find a path forward, something reasonable that we can get started on: universal child care,” the governor said.

She agreed with Mamdani’s argument that child care costs are making it difficult for young families to stay in the city.

Hochul also claimed publicly-funded universal child care is pro-business.

“Employers in New York are really going to benefit when their own employees don’t have to stress on who’s taking care of their children. I think that’s going to give real competitive advantages to our businesses as well,” the governor said.

“I’m excited about that.”

Hochul did not say how she would fund the dramatic expansion of child care, or whether it would be imposed statewide or just in the city. It could be phased in over a number of years, for example.

She opposes raising income taxes, but has not ruled out increasing other levies, including the corporate tax rate.

The governor will likely spell out the financing for such a program in her 2026 State of the State address on January 13 or in her subsequent budget presentation.

Meanwhile, Hochul said she was pleased Mamdani asked Jessica Tisch to stay as the city police commissioner.

“”Everybody — let’s give him a chance. No one wants to root against New York City,” she said, calling it the economic engine of the US. “We want it to be successful.”

She noted she worked closely with outgoing Mayor Eric Adams and his predecessor, Bill de Blasio, and would do the same with Mamdani.

“Albany has a lot to say about things but I want to have a positive relationship [with Mamdani],” Hochul said.

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, Hochul’s Republican challenger for governor next year, said he opposed raising taxes to pay for a child care expansion.

“Universal child care should be funded by reprioritizing the billions wasted in New York’s budget, including the billions spent on illegal immigrants,” Blakeman said.

“Under Kathy Hochul, New York has become the most unaffordable state in the nation, and her tax hikes will only deepen the financial pain families face when putting food on the table and clothes on their children,” he added.

But the state legislators who introduced a bill to create a statewide universal child care program — along with outgoing Queens Assembly member and incoming Mayor Mamdani —  were thrilled that Hochul is putting her political capital behind the issue.

“As a parent of two small children, childcare is one of the largest expenses my family faces. The state has a responsibility to make this essential service more affordable for working families,” Assemblyman Robert Carroll (D-Brooklyn) said.

“I’m glad Governor Hochul and Mayor-Elect Mamdani are on the same page, and I’m eager to support this work in the Assembly,” he said.

Bill co-sponsor Bronx Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz said achieving universal child care would “be a big deal” that a majority of New Yorkers would get behind.

“New York having universal child care would provide an amazing boost to our economy as well as families,” Dinowitz said. “The question is, how do we make it happen? The devil is in the details.”

Hochul has already taken steps to expand subsidized child care for working parents.

Earlier this month, she announced the launch of a new $100 million Child Care Capital Construction Funding to expand the capacity of child care — adding between 6,000 and 10,000 new seats.

Since taking office in 2021, Hochul said she has directed more than $8 billion toward child care subsidies to 170,000 kids statewide through the Child Care Assistance Program. Qualified families pay no more than $15 per week for child care.

The city also has an existing child care voucher program, a mayoral aide noted.

State Sen. John Liu (D-Queens), a former city comptroller and Mamdani ally, said he could support a corporate tax hike to pay for a massive child care expansion.  

“Universal childcare will relieve working moms and pops of exorbitant costs and enable thousands of these New Yorkers to rejoin the workforce,” Liu said, calling Mamdani and Hochul a “dream team.

“This is what businesses need most and it will in turn propel economic growth for New York corporations, [making] a strong case for increasing corporate taxes to pay for universal childcare.”