Does Anyone Actually Like Kathy Hochul?
By Matt MargolisI've lived in a blue state my entire life. I grew up in Massachusetts, went to college in Connecticut, and now call New York State home. Trust me, it's tough, especially when Democrats are so dominant that there's virtually nothing you can do about it. Even the worst Democrats get elected and reelected.
That's generally the story with Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-N.Y.). Four years ago, she narrowly beat Republican Lee Zeldin in a race that was much closer than it ought to have been in such a deep blue state. Now she's seeking reelection again, and some polls suggest another abnormally tight race. She's still favored to win, but living here, I can tell you that no one likes her.
The yard signs tell the story.
It's the final weeks of the midterms, and they're everywhere. Where I live, Republican Bruce Blakeman signs are everywhere. Kathy Hochul signs, not so much.
Now, I live in a fairly red part of the state, and that plays a big part. But some homes around here have Democrat yard signs, and many have several, covering every race on the ballot. Hochul signs are almost nowhere to be found. I've been looking for them for weeks while driving around, and it wasn't until about a week and a half ago that I finally spotted some. They were at just two houses, and both had signs for the full slate of Democrat candidates.
Here's the thing about a house with the full slate out front. It's a good sign the people inside are connected to the local Democrat Party and always put up the party signs. I've seen plenty of homes with only a Blakeman sign. I've seen zero with only a Hochul sign. I’ve come to the conclusion that New York Democrats don’t even like her. They're just stuck with her.
So how did they get stuck with her? Andrew Cuomo picked her as his running mate, then resigned in disgrace, and she took over, inheriting incumbent status and all the perks that come with it.
I think Blakeman is going to get a lot of crossover votes this year, and recent developments back that up. Actress Debra Messing, a longtime Democrat and critic of President Donald Trump, endorsed Blakeman on Thursday at a Manhattan fundraiser. She also appears in a video with him.
"You are what we need more than anything," Messing told him.
This is a woman who campaigned for Hillary Clinton and donated to far-left actress Cynthia Nixon's 2018 run for governor. But even she has seen how New York City has gone downhill fast over the last four years, economically and socially, with businesses and residents heading for the exits. It's no longer the city she loves. She called Blakeman the affordability candidate, pointing to struggling families, high utility bills, and the $9 toll just to drive into Manhattan.
There's more to it than money. Messing, who is Jewish, has been outspoken ever since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023. She put up hostage posters in Manhattan and begged far-left students to leave them alone. She backed Cuomo's failed bid to stop anti-Israel Mayor Zohran Mamdani, whom she has called an America-hating jihadist and "Osama bin Mamdani."
I like that; I think I’m gonna use it in the future.
Meanwhile, Blakeman is a staunch supporter of Israel, while Hochul…is far more wishy-washy on Jewish issues.
Blakeman, the Nassau County executive, called Messing iconic, praised her courage, and said she's working as hard as she can to save New York and keep it safe for Jewish residents. Last week, he also pledged to wipe out state income tax on the first $50,000 for single filers and the first $100,000 for married couples.
Incumbency can win elections, but it can't make people like you. A party that keeps handing its voters candidates they merely tolerate eventually learns that tolerance runs out when people realize voting the party line isn’t in their best interests. Even the loyalists start looking elsewhere.
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