Governor Kathy Hochul Thursday became the first women in state history to be a major party nominee for governor. The state democratic convention also featured Hillary Clinton as keynote speaker. Both expressed their concerns about the deep divisions in contemporary American politics.
Hochul says she wants to address the deep political divides in the state, help New Yorkers recover from the damages of the long COVID-19 pandemic, and protect a woman’s right to choose abortion.
She cited the example of another New York governor, and President, Theodore Roosevelt and his analogy comparing politics to an arena, where those who take leadership are “marred by blood and sweat” in contrast to the “timid souls” who sit on the sidelines.
“Now a woman has entered that arena as governor,” Hochul said, to cheers.
Hochul’s been in office for six months, after former governor Andrew Cuomo resigned in a sexual harassment scandal, and she already has a hefty campaign fund of over $21 million, solid standing in the polls, and widespread support within the democratic party, as well as several major labor unions.
She pledged to continue working to revive the state’s economy, and protect the rights of Black and Brown and Asian New Yorkers, as well as the LGBTQ -plus community. She says she’ll work to combat gun violence, and ensure criminal justice for everyone.
The governor, who was interrupted by hecklers advocating for tenants’ rights and immigrants workers, says she intends to run her campaign like an underdog.
“Here’s my playbook: you run with confidence, but with the tenacity of an underdog,” Hochul said. “You take nothing for granted, and you fight until the very last second.”
Hochul’s speech was proceeded by that of another democratic woman who has broken barriers, Hillary Clinton, the 2016 democratic presidential candidate, former US Senator from New York and former first lady.
Clinton last addressed the state democrats 22 years ago, when she was nominated as the party’s choice of US Senator, a race that she won.
Clinton, who lost to former President Donald Trump in 2016, says just because Democratic candidate Joe Biden ultimately defeated Trump, does not mean that the division and “madness” is over.
She offered a stinging condemnation of the Republican Party, saying they are “normalizing” and trying to cover up, the deadly insurgency at the US Capitol on January 6th 2021, and perpetrate the “big lie” that Trump actually won in 2020.
“They’ll ban books but do nothing about guns, they’ll make it harder for people to vote, but easier for big corporations to bust unions,” said Clinton. “They’ll let polluters trash our environment and let Donald Trump trash our democracy.”
“That’s why I intend to work my heart out to elect democrats up and down the ticket this November,” Clinton pledged.
Before Hochul can run in the general election in November, she first faces a primary. One of her opponents, Jumaane Williams, put his name forward to request that he receive the 25% of the delegates’ votes needed to avoid petitioning to get on the ballot. Williams got 12.46% of vote, and will now be collecting signatures to secure his spot. Long Island Congressman Tom Suozzi spoke to the delegates at their closed door breakfast, but did not ask for their vote, saying he will also be petitioning in the coming months to qualify for the June ballot.
