NY-GOV: Gov. Kathy Hochul, gearing up for reelection, is ready to 'fight like hell'

Gov. Kathy Hochul likes a fight. That’s a good thing, because she’s in for several of them next year.

Over four years into her time as governor and three into her first full term, New York’s first woman governor has had her hands full. She had to settle into the role after her predecessor’s resignation amid various scandals, immediately prepare for an election, deal with the resignation of her first lieutenant governor (and a primary challenge from her second) and learn the contours of the state Legislature. Those may all ultimately pale in comparison to what the next few years promise to have in store.

After establishing herself not only as a worthy governor of one of the nation’s most populous states, but as a solid leader of New York’s Democratic Party, Hochul’s bona fides will be tested like never before as she navigates new political currents. New York City just elected a fresh-faced democratic socialist as its mayor, representing a wide ideological gap with the self-proclaimed capitalist and centrist governor. Hochul ultimately endorsed Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, but many members of her own party – including her own state party Chair Jay Jacobs – expressed deep skepticism, at best, about how the rising star fits into the future of the Democratic Party.

At the same time, Hochul is dealing with unprecedented federal cuts from an unpredictable president who has promised retribution just as easily as he has reversed course. Hochul has navigated the turbulence well – or at least publicly better than some other Democratic governors who have seen the National Guard deployed within their borders. The coming year’s fiscal needs would already be cause enough for concern, but the addition of Mamdani to the mix adds new weight to the careful balancing act Hochul has attempted to maintain.



https://www.cityandstateny.com/personality/2025/11/gov-kathy-hochul-gearing-reelection-ready-fight-hell/409557/?oref=csny-homepage-top-story