New York Governor Kathy Hochul is headed for an easy ride at her first statewide political convention since replacing Andrew Cuomo last summer. It’s the first step on Hochul’s quest to get elected to the post in her own right.
Hochul is set to become the state Democratic Party’s official designee for the governor’s post at the convention in New York City on Thursday, the first woman to do so. In office for just under 6 months, she’s raised over $21 million, is far ahead of primary opponents in the polls, and has shored up the support of nearly all of the state’s Democratic political establishment, including state party Chair Jay Jacobs as well as key labor unions.
She’s managed the COVID-19 pandemic and presented a budget plan flush with cash from federal relief packages and tax increases raised by her predecessor, which so far has faced little resistance from state lawmakers.
Before last summer, Hochul wasn’t supposed to be in this position. Andrew Cuomo was still governor and seemingly on track for a fourth term. But in early August, the Democrat resigned in a sexual harassment scandal, although the former governor denies any wrongdoing.
Attorney General Tish James, whose report finding he sexually harassed 11 women was the catalyst for Cuomo’s exit, briefly mounted a primary challenge to Hochul. That would have likely led to a spirited race, but after just a few weeks, James decided to seek reelection as attorney general instead.
Earlier this week, though, Hochul said she’s not taking anything for granted. She likened her situation to her favorite NFL sports team, which suffered a heartbreaking loss to Kansas City in a close playoff game in January.
“I’m a Buffalo Bills fan,” Hochul said. “I always have an underdog mentality.”
Hochul says she’s going to focus on leading the state out of the pandemic and trying to improve the lagging economy. She hopes that ultimately, the voters will be with her.
“That is basically the strategy, continue speaking to New Yorkers,” the governor said. “And let them know what our administration has been accomplishing.”
Hochul likely will face two primary challengers. New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, who has received the endorsement of the Working Families Party, is running to the governor’s left.
Williams has been critical of Hochul’s housing policies, and disagrees with her decision to let the state’s pandemic-related eviction moratorium expire. Williams was at the state Capitol on February 10th to promote the Good Cause bill, which tightens the criteria for landlords to evict tenants. He also says the governor is not doing enough to build needed affordable housing.
He says he was “astonished” to hear that Hochul wants to build 100,000 new affordable housing units. He says that figure is too low.
“That in no way even is a drop in the bucket,” Willaims said.
Williams will attend the convention but he expects to be denied the 25% of the vote of delegates that automatically would place him on the primary ballot.
“The Democratic Party always does their best to prevent folks who are speaking out against the status quo to not get those numbers,” said Williams.
But Williams, a former community organizer, says there can also be a benefit to petitioning to get on the ballot, because he’ll be interacting with more potential voters.
Primary challengers from the progressive wing of the party took on Cuomo in 2014 and 2018, and won around a third of the vote. Hochul has a better relationship with her party’s left than Cuomo did.
Long Island Congressman Tom Suozzi is running to the right of Hochul. Suozzi says the governor has not done enough to pull back bail reform changes that he and other critics say have contributed to the state’s spike in violent crime. Suozzi also opposes Hochul’s proposal to bypass suburban zoning rules and allow the construction of small housing units on a homeowner’s property, known at Accessory Dwelling Units or ADUs. He also wants to lower the state’s highest- in- the- nation local taxes. All are issues that can appeal to voters in the New York City suburbs, who can often swing an election. Suozzi is positioning himself as moderate in the race.
“I’m a common sense Democrat,” Suozzi said. “I don’t believe it’s about going to the far right or the far left. It’s about trying to find the answers to the problems that we face.”
Suozzi on Wednesday announced a running mate. Diana Reyna, a former New York City Council member from Brooklyn, and of Dominican heritage, will be his lieutenant governor candidate.
