Four more years â of something something.
Democratic incumbent Kathy Hochul has conspicuously avoided outlining a detailed agenda for what she wants to accomplish over the next four years if she’s reelected.
Her campaign website lists her “accomplishments” or record during her first full four-year term, but it lists no policy agenda or vision for the next four.
There are no specific policy proposals regarding taxes and spending, economic development, public safety, education or welfare programs.
Now, she’s even dodging questions on whether or not she supports tax hikes as she tries to walk a tightrope, trying to appeal to moderates while holding out the fiery liberal wing of the party.
Democratic socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani remains popular, backed by a group of largely younger voters who lean left and are energized around an anti-capitalist message of taxing the rich.
Hochul has allied with Mamdani, trying to harness the enthusiasm of his supporters despite signs they haven’t eased up on their tax crusade even after the governor handed Hizzoner a new pied-a-terre tax on luxury second homes in the five boroughs.
During her only debate with Republican rival Bruce Blakeman on NY1/Spectrum News last month, Hochul gave a terse “no” when asked if she would raise income taxes.
But in recent weeks, Hochul, 68, has danced around questions about her plans for taxes.
Critics noted her lack of specificity comes as she stumps on the campaign trail with Mamdani as his cronies in the Democratic Socialists of America continue to push for more tax money to boost their socialist agenda.
âHochul doesnât have an agenda because Mamdani is writing one for her,” her opponent Blakeman, 71, said Sunday.
“Heâll call the shots, and Hochul will pick up the pen to deliver higher property taxes, higher income taxes, an inheritance tax, more businesses fleeing and more prisons closing,” said Blakeman, who is now the Nassau County executive.
Blakeman has spelled out a few proposals of his own, such as a sweeping income tax cutting plan that, if approved, would eliminate taxes on the first $50,000 of income for single filers and on the first $100,000 for married couples.
“Hochul knows what the agenda will be going forward,” GOP strategist Bill O’Reilly said. “She’s taking directions from Mamdani and the Democratic Socialists of America. She’s waiting for direction from the DSA.”
State Conservative Party chairman Gerard Kassar said the governor has “kicked the can down the road” on telling voters about where she stands on taxes and green energy mandates, which she moved to delay in an election year.
“Hochul has a status quo agenda, an awful agenda,” Kassar said.
Hochul, the former lieutenant governor, took over the reins when ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo resigned in August 2021 amid sexual misconduct accusations that he denies.
She was elected to a first-full term in 2022.
When Cuomo ran for re-election to a second term in 2014, he published a detailed 200-plus page book of policy proposals called “Moving the New York Forward.”
When Cuomo ran for a third time in 2018, his campaign website included an extensive rundown of his accomplishments over the prior term, but his plans for the next four years were largely blank.
The Hochul campaign provided comments the governor made at a press gaggle last week to show she has an ongoing agenda for her next term.
âWe’ve launched so many ambitious initiatives. When you’re trying to do work that should have been done decades ago – whether it’s investing in infrastructure projects that are transformational, like the Interborough Express, connecting Queens and Brooklyn – that’s going to take some time. Reinvesting in the in the subway system, make it even better and more efficient than it is today,” Hochul said.
“All the way up to bringing more businesses like Micron, the largest private sector investment in American history, 50,000 jobs. I want to build a whole ecosystem, not just one, but also create a Silicon Valley for semiconductor manufacturing. That takes time, as we’re continuing to attract more businesses, particularly to upstate New York.”
She also said will update New York’s energy plan with her “all-of-the-above approach” that includes reviving nuclear, which “takes years to do.”
“As soon as this election is over, I’ll be reaching out to the Trump administration again, saying, â`The politics is over now. You know, would you please give us the authorization to move forward on nuclear?’â
Hochul said she’ll continue to expand universal childcare that “can’t happen in a year or two.”
“That takes time to build out the infrastructure for that: the locations, the personnel we need to staff them, as well as making sure that we have the resources. So, we’re going to continue on.”
In addition, she wants to building “housing all over.”
“So that’s a lot, isn’t it? I’m excited about it. We’ve come a long way. We’ve made real progress in helping people with the affordability crisis and helping families who are struggling. But I’m excited about the next four years if the voters give me that opportunity. â
On her campaign website, Hochul lists four different categories of accomplishments, with one section devoted to “standing up to Trump.” She boasted of approving a law to “hold ICE agents accountable” and suing Trump over tariffs.
She also promoted her legislative campaign to curb auto insurance costs; providing inflation and utility rebate checks; banning cell phones in schools; expanding universal pre-K and universal child care; and providing funding to boost patrols in the subway.
