Long Island Congressman Tom Suozzi is running for New York governor. The Democrat jumped into the race Monday morning, after he declined an invitation to become New York City Mayor-elect Eric Adams’ deputy mayor.
On a virtual press conference, Suozzi touted his reputation as a moderate and vowed to work with all sides in Albany.
"Everything I've done has prepared me for this particular job at this particular time and I have a clear rationale to distinguish myself from the other candidates," he said. "So, I feel like this whole, you know, left-to-right extremist thing in our country is killing our country, and it's killing our state."
Suozzi is a moderate from Nassau County, where Republicans won the county executive and district attorney’s seats this month. The former Nassau County executive ran unsuccessfully against Eliot Spitzer for governor in 2006. His 3rd district includes parts of Long Island and Queens.
Suozzi joins a crowded field that includes Governor Kathy Hochul, state Attorney General Tish James and New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is also considering a run. Suozzi says he is not running for re-election to Congress, so his seat will be open next year.
