Gotham Gazette

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Kathy Hochul

Kathy Hochul

  • Max Politics Podcast: Messaging, Gender, and the 2022 New York Governor's Race

    Gov. Hochul with fellow women in office, advocacy (photo: Darren McGee/Governor's Office)


    November 11, 2022 - Max Politics Podcast: Gender and New York's 2022 Elections

    Alexis Grenell, a Democratic strategist, co-founder of Pythia Public, and writer on politics and gender, joined the show to discuss Kathy Hochul's win as the first woman elected Governor of New York, messaging and gender in the campaign, and more.

    Listen to the conversation and let us know what you think, on Twitter @TweetBenMax. You can listen to the

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  • An Initial Look at Voter Turnout in New York's 2022 General Election

    Gov. Hochul votes (photo: @KathyHochul)


    Approximately 5.7 million New Yorkers across the state cast ballots in one of the closest races for governor in over two decades, according to unofficial 2022 election data. Some votes, especially final absentee ballots, are still being counted.

    That amounts to roughly 43% of New York's 13.1 million registered voters, a lower turnout than in the 2018 gubernatorial election, when a surge of electoral enthusiasm driven by opposition to the Trump presidency and other factors pushed turnout to 48%.

    In 2018, Democrats cruised to victories in

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  • Max Politics Podcast: Examining Hochul's Win, Other 2022 New York Election Results, with Basil Smikle Jr.

    Gov. Kathy Hochul & Basil Smikle Jr. (photo: @BasilSmiklePhD)


    November 9, 2022 - Max Politics Podcast: Breaking Down the 2022 New York Election Results, with Basil Smikle

    Dr. Basil Smikle Jr., former Executive Director of the New York State Democratic Party and currently a professor at Hunter College, joined the show to break down the results of New York's 2022 general election.

    Listen to the conversation and let us know what you think, on Twitter @TweetBenMax. You can listen to the show through the embedded audio below or

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  • New York Voters Approve $4.2 Billion Environmental Bond Act

    Gov. Hochul at a climate action announcement (photo: Mike Groll/Governor's Office)


    Voters across New York have approved $4.2 billion in state borrowing proposed by Governor Kathy Hochul and the State Legislature to pay for major projects environmentalists say are key to developing a more robust response to climate change and pollution.

    In numbers sure to shift as more votes are counted, initial election night tallies showed about 68% of voters approving the measure, 28% disapproving, and 12% of voters not weighing in at all. The Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act

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  • Democrat Kathy Hochul, New York's First Female Governor, Elected to Full Term

    Gov. Hochul sworn in, August 2021 (photo: Mike Groll/Office of Governor Kathy Hochul)


    Democrat Kathy Hochul, New York's first female governor, was elected to the position for the first time Tuesday, winning a full term in a race that put Democrats' control over the traditionally blue bastion to the test.

    The race was called just after 11 p.m. Tuesday, with Hochul beating her Republican challenger, U.S. Rep Lee Zeldin, by an unclear margin given lags in vote reporting from Zeldin’s home county of Suffolk. By early Wednesday morning when most votes were counted, Hochul's margin over Zeldin was

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  • Loosely Allied with Hochul, Working Families Party Again Tries to Meet Higher Threshold to Keep Ballot Line

    Democrats rallying (photo: @PatRyanUC)


    UPDATE: On election night, results showed the Working Families Party achieve enough votes on its ballot line for Kathy Hochul to retain its political party status and ballot line in upcoming elections. In response to the New York gubernatorial election results, Director of the New York Working Families Party Sochie Nnaemeka released the following celebratory statement:

    “The Working Families Party is proud to have secured more than enough votes to maintain our ballot line and continue fighting for working New Yorkers. Our grassroots volunteers mobilized voters from

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  • Paths to Victory for Hochul, Zeldin as 2022 New York Governor's Race Concludes

    Out to vote (photo: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office)


    With Election Day arriving, the tightening race for governor of New York has been one of the 2022 election cycle's biggest surprises.

    In the long-time calculus of New York elections, any Republican would need stars to align across the map to win statewide, where registered Democrats outnumber Republicans two to one. Even party-unaffiliated voters are now a larger group in New York than registered Republicans. 

    The math

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  • Max Politics Podcast: High Hopes for the New York GOP

    Lee Zeldin, left, and John Burnett (photo: @IamJohnBurnett)


    November 4, 2022 - Max Politics Podcast: High Hopes for the New York GOP

    John Burnett, Executive Vice Chairman of the New York State Republican Party, joined the show to discuss the GOP's high hopes for this year's elections, especially in the race for Governor where Republican U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin is running against Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul and appears within striking distance.

    Listen to the conversation and let us know what you think, on Twitter @TweetBenMax.

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  • Max Politics Podcast: Understanding the Numbers Game of the New York Governor's Race

    The New York State Capitol (photo: Darren McGee/Governor's Office)


    November 3, 2022 - Max Politics Podcast: Understanding the Numbers Game in the Governor's Race

    Bruce Gyory, a political scientist and strategist, joined the show to lay out key numbers in the race for Governor; break down racial, ethnic, regional, and other demographic trends; and explain paths to victory for Kathy Hochul and Lee Zeldin.

    Listen to the conversation and let us know what you think, on Twitter @TweetBenMax. You can listen to the

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  • Updated New York Voter Enrollment Numbers Show Playing Field for 2022 Election

    Voter registration (photo: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office)


    New York State added over 400,000 voters to the rolls since the last gubernatorial election in 2018, a 3% increase in total enrollment, according to the latest data released by the State Board of Elections on Tuesday.

    The 424,000 net additional voters since 2018 bring the total to 13.1 million registered voters statewide, roughly the number of those eligible to vote in this month’s major 2022 elections for Governor and other statewide positions, seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and the State Legislature, and other

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  • Latino New Yorkers Know Governor Hochul is Fighting For Us

    Gov. Hochul celebrates Puerto Rico (photo: Kevin P. Coughlin/Office of Governor Kathy Hochul)


    Every election season, Latinos have the same conversations about how political candidates engage with us. My constituents and I are used to seeing chronic underinvestment despite big promises, and our communities are used to feeling like an afterthought. It’s far too easy for us to succumb to cynicism about our political leaders’ commitment to fighting for us. 

    But that’s not the case with Governor Kathy Hochul. And she’s proven it

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  • Arguments For and Against Question 1 on the 2022 New York Ballot, The $4.2 Billion Environmental Bond Act

    Then-Lt. Gov. Hochul opens a solar farm (photo: Philip Kamrass/ New York Power Authority)


    On the back of every New Yorker's ballot this fall is a question: whether or not to allow the state to borrow $4.2 billion to pay for major clean environment and climate change mitigation infrastructure.

    The provision, known as the "Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act," would authorize the state comptroller to sell bonds on behalf of the State of New York to pay for projects related to greenhouse gas emissions, flood risk, clean water, land conservation, and other climate-related

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  • Max Politics Podcast: The Working Families Party Works to Keep Its Ballot Line, Win Key Races

    Sochie Nnaemeka (photo: @MaketheRoadAct)


    October 26, 2022 - Max Politics Podcast: The Working Families Party Works to Keep Its Ballot Line, Win Key Races

    Sochie Nnaemeka, director of the New York Working Families Party, joined the show to discuss the WFP's campaign to keep its ballot line, key races it is focused on in the 2022 election, its relationship with Gov. Kathy Hochul, and more.

    Listen to the conversation and let us know what you think, on Twitter @TweetBenMax. You can listen to the show through the

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  • Latinos, Hochul, and the 2022 Election for New York Governor

    Gov. Hochul celebrates Hispanic Heritage (photo: governor's offiice)


    She once adamantly opposed the idea of giving drivers’ licenses to undocumented immigrants; she even went so far as to threaten their arrests and deportations. No Latinos were on the original list of speakers for the convention of the State Democratic Party, of which she is thede facto leader.TheNueva York Initiative...

  • Max Politics Podcast: Breaking Down the Hochul-Zeldin Debate

    Lee Zeldin & Kathy Hochul at their debate


    October 25, 2022 - Max Politics Podcast: Breaking Down the Hochul-Zeldin Debate

    After Gov. Kathy Hochul and Rep. Lee Zeldin debated Tuesday night in the race for Governor, two experts joined host Ben Max to analyze the big event: Dr. Christina Greer, political science professor at Fordham University, and Casey Seiler, editor of the Albany Times Union.

    Listen to the conversation and let us know what you think, on Twitter @TweetBenMax. You can listen to the show through the

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  • Hochul and Zeldin Offer Vastly Different Visions in Lone Debate of Gubernatorial Race

    Lee Zeldin and Kathy Hochul at Tuesday's debate


    Governor Kathy Hochul, a Democrat seeking her first full term as governor, faced off against her Republican opponent, U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin of Long Island, on Tuesday night in the only debate of the governor’s race.

    In an hour-long debate hosted by Spectrum News, the two candidates attacked each other’s records and clashed on crime and public safety, the economy, abortion, ethics, democracy, and more. They outlined vastly different assessments of where New York stands today and visions for where to take it in the future, seeking to make an impression

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  • 4 Things to Watch in the Lone Kathy Hochul-Lee Zeldin Debate

    Kathy Hochul and Lee Zeldin


    In what should be must-see TV for New Yorkers, Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul and Republican Rep. Lee Zeldin are set to debate tonight for the first and only time in the general election for Governor.

    The debate, held at Pace University in Manhattan, will take place from 7 to 8 p.m. on Spectrum News and be moderated by anchors Errol Louis and Susan Arbetter (and broadcast online for those who don’t get Spectrum television). It comes two weeks before Election Day, November 8, with absentee balloting underway

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  • What the Polls Say About the New York Governor's Race

    What the Polls Say About the New York Governor's Race

    Kathy Hochul and Lee Zeldin


    With under three weeks till Election Day, a set of recent polls in the New York governor’s race show U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin, the Republican nominee, catching up to incumbent Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul. They appear to indicate a growing possibility that New York could elect its first Republican governor since George Pataki won a third and final term in 2002, despite that such an outcome seemed like a big longshot just weeks ago.

    But a deeper dive into polling trends shows that Zeldin continues to face an uphill battle and

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  • Hochul's 'SOS' Teams Begin Outreach to Homeless People in Subways

    Gov. Hochul & Mayor Adams discuss subway support teams (photo: Kevin P. Coughlin/Governor's Office)


    Governor Kathy Hochul's Safe Option Support outreach teams have helped find "bed placements" for 150 homeless individuals living in the subways in their first six months of operation, according to the New York State Office of Mental Health.

    The figures, provided to Gotham Gazette after an inquiry, indicate some action by one of Hochul's first major mental health and public safety initiatives as governor, amid rising homelessness and street violence. They also raise more questions about whether

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  • Bail Reform Remains at Center of New York Political Debate But State Legislature has Never Held a Hearing On It

    Outside Rikers Island (photo: William Alatriste/NYC Council)


    New York State’s sweeping bail reform law first went into effect in January 2020 and has been subsequently amended twice since then in response to widespread opposition from law enforcement, Republican officials, and some moderate and conservative Democrats. Since its first passage -- through three consecutive legislative sessions and into this statewide election year -- bail reform has been a highly contentious issue, with heated political rhetoric often outpacing facts.

    It is now among the top issues Republicans are focused on in

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  • Max Politics Podcast: The Environmental Bond Act Ballot Proposal and Other Key Climate Issues

    Rooftop solar panels (photo: Gabriel López Albarrán)


    October 13, 2022 - Max Politics Podcast: The Environmental Bond Act Ballot Proposal and Other Key Climate Issues

    Proposal 1 on the 2022 general election ballot is a statewide referendum on the $4.2 billion Environmental Bond Act, which New York voters will approve or disapprove this fall. Julie Tighe, president of the New York League of Conservation Voters, and Amy Chester, managing director of Rebuild by Design, joined the show to discuss the bond act and other major New York climate issues.

    Listen to the

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  • Hochul Raises Massive Sum in Final State Election Before New Campaign Finance System Kicks In

    Then-Gov. Cuomo and Lt. Gov. Hochul (photo: Governor's Office)


    Since Kathy Hochul became governor in August 2021, 47 people have given the maximum amount – $69,700 – directly to her campaign, according to campaign finance filings through October 3.

    In total, the governor's campaign has brought in $46 million in her first 14 months in office. That massive sum will not be as easy to accumulate in future elections thanks to a new state campaign finance system that will lower individual contribution limits and establish a

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  • In Governor's Race, Hochul and Zeldin Differ Greatly on Climate Issues

    Gov. Hochul with electric vehicles (photo: office of Governor Kathy Hochul)


    In a race with many clear differences, there may be no issue on which Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul and Republican Congressman Lee Zeldin are offering more divergent visions in this year’s New York gubernatorial election than on climate and environmental policy.

    While Hochul seeks a full term to continue implementation of New York’s sweeping shift to renewable energy and advance many policies related to environmental protection, Zeldin has been

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  • Max Politics Podcast: Resetting the 2022 Race for New York Governor with Under 6 Weeks To Go

    Get ready to vote (photo: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office)


    September 29, 2022 - Max Politics Podcast: Resetting the 2022 Race for New York Governor with Under 6 Weeks To Go

    Bob Hardt, New York Political Director for Spectrum News, joined the show to discuss where the 2022 race for New York Governor stands with under six weeks until Election Day, what the latest polling says, how Gov. Hochul and Rep. Lee Zeldin are positioning themselves, whether there will be a debate, and more.

    Listen to the conversation and let us know what you think, on Twitter

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  • How to Break Barriers to Build More Housing in New York? Experts Point to Changes

    A ground-breaking (photo: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office)


    New York City has an acute housing shortage, with emergency-level lows in apartment vacancies, especially for units affordable to most New Yorkers, and astronomical rents, a homelessness crisis, and halting recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

    At the core of the city’s housing supply deficit is a lengthy and cumbersome land use decision-making process, a bureaucratic maze of local and state regulations combined with political dynamics that have often

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