As we head into this year's budget season in Albany, Governor Kathy Hochul has found herself in a strangely strong position to govern (and campaign for reelection) from the center-left, even with threats to the state's finances incoming daily from the Trump administration.
She's bear-hugged New York City's democratic socialist mayor and embraced his plan for universal child care. The candidate who appeared to be her chief rival for governor, MAGA darling and North Country Congressmember Elise Stefanik, has been driven into apparent retirement by the president's unpopularity, leaving Long Island weirdo Bruce Blakeman as her lone general election opponent. (There's also the longshot primary challenge from her own lieutenant governor, Antonio Delgado, but Hochul has quite a lot of money to make sure that his bid doesn't go anywhere.)
What does a Hochul who feels no immediate threat from her left or right, and feels emboldened to govern however she sees fit, look like? For one, it means a State of the State address on Tuesday that didn't once include an attempt to roll back criminal justice reforms, which she's demanded for the past several budget seasons on behalf of suburban Democrats, and which have consistently derailed budget negotiations with the state legislature, pushing important legislative priorities like protections for immigrants and tenants to the backburner.
For another, it looks a lot like Hochul advocating for much of what New York City's Democrats in the legislature have wanted for the past several years—with one major exception (read on!).
Let's dive into what Hochul announced her priorities will be this year in her speech from deep inside The Egg.