NY 2022 - Zeldin/Esposito, Libertarian & WFP updates

[President Johnson]

The first Hochul ad is out. It's pretty good I think, emphasizing on her strong Covid actions, cultural change in Albany and other issues important to Democrats. She is so awesome

https://twitter.com/KathyHochul/status/1446453059769573376

[President Johnson]

Some news about Tom Suozzi, but I certainly a waste of time should he actually get in.

https://twitter.com/bern_hogan/status/1446638029452496897

[President Johnson]

https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/politics/ny-voters-warm-to-hochul-dont-want-cuomo-to-return-poll/3318534/

Hochul currently has a 49 percent approval rating with 20 percent unsure.

In a three-way primary with Attorney General Letitia James and NYC Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, Hochul would win easily, at 44% to 28% for James and 15% for Williams.

But in a four-way race with James, Williams and Cuomo, Hochul would still dominate, at 36%, versus 24% for James, 19% for Cuomo and 9% for Williams.

Cuomo's teams insists he has no intention of running again. 77 Percent of voters don't want him too.

That's very encouraging for her. However, I hope she takes any challenge very serious and nothing for granted. That also sort of applies to the general. From what I'm observing so far, she's exactly doing that. Continue to build relationships to lawmakers and across the state, work to solve real problems and continue to be authentic. She's already built relationships with local leaders as lt. governor and that may pay off now.

Furthermore, Hochul will most likely get a bunch of high profile endorsements, including the two senators and the Clintons which carry a lot of weight. Possibly even Eric Adams.

[President Johnson]

EMILY's List endorses Hochul.

EMILY’s List, the progressive organization that supports pro-abortion rights women running for office, announced an early endorsement for New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) on Thursday as the first female chief of the Empire State looks to secure a full term next year.

Laphonza Butler, the president of EMILY’s List, pointed to Hochul’s leadership in the wake of former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s (D) resignation —specifically her focus on a culture of sexual harassment in Albany — in her statement endorsing the governor.

“Governor Hochul stepped up to lead New York in a moment rife with skepticism and mistrust for Albany. As governor, she has prioritized rebuilding trust between her administration and New Yorkers, and delivering results,” Butler said.

 

“Her leadership has been integral to effective management of the COVID-19 pandemic and a reexamination of the sexual harassment culture in the capital,” she added.

Butler said Hochul will “continue to put the people of New York first, as she has done during her decades of public service, and will lift up women, children, and underserved communities.”

Getting kind of hard to see how Letitia James runs now. One of her major sources of primary funding just got cut off.

I read that James never a good fundraiser in the first place. Hochul was outraising her even before taking office.

I just hope James declines to run and instead runs for reelection as Attorney General. Ideally, Hochul and James then endorse each other.

Not sure it matter that much, but Hochul and Benjamin also received some upstate endorsements lately (not that I think it matter a whole lot, she's probably dominating Upstate in the primary anyway):

https://twitter.com/NickReisman/status/1448660304217268227

[President Johnson]

Boooo!

I used to like James as Attorney General, but jumping in this race is just an ego trip at this point. Yes, everyone is free to run for whatever post in a democracy, I just don't see a compelling argument to run against the first female governor that has just taken office, begun to clean up Albany and already done a very good job. In Williams' case, you can at least argue larger ideological differences as reason why he's likely to enter the race. James probably just thinks it's her turn now that Cuomo is gone. She could have stayed on as respected Attorney General with a complete safe reelection instead of causing an unncessary primary battle and waste millions of dollars for pure ego reasons. I hope Kathy Hochul destroys anyone who's running against her pretty badly. So... let's go, Kathy, give them hell!

[President Johnson]

If James doesn't indict Trump or a Trump family member she's not winning.

I mean, Trump and members of his family most likely deserve indictments, but these decisions shouldn't be made under any political influence or personal electoral prospects. Even though Trump certainly would do so, it undermines trust in the legal system and its indepedence.

[President Johnson]

Jesus… imagine accepting an endorsement from these crooks. I’ll be supporting Hochul if this is the alternative.
https://twitter.com/zackfinknews/status/1454149821254746113?s=21

What's the exact issue with this union?

[President Johnson]

I wonder whether Eric Adams will make an endorsement in this race? He's ideologically possibly closer to Hochul, but has ties to the black community outside Manhattan. However, not all black leaders automatically rally behind James. Hochul already secured the endorsement of Hazel Dukes, who seems to be a local black icon and was present at Brian Benjamin's presentation as lt. governor nominee.

Hochul just campaigned with Adams:

https://twitter.com/KathyHochul/status/1454233126058795008

[President Johnson]

Meanwhile, Hochul is raising a ton of cash. Good for her.


Hochul campaign says the governor has raised $10M since August

Gov. Kathy Hochul’s campaign on Friday said that the Democrat has amassed $10 million since she assumed office in August after Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo resigned amid accusations of sexual harassment.

Hochul’s campaign said the former lieutenant governor now has $11.1 million on hand for the 2022 race for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination and for the general election. In all, the campaign said she has raised $12 million during the June-January cycle monitored by the state Board of Elections.

Hochul had set a goal of $10 million by the end of this year and $25 million by next summer.

By comparison, Cuomo had about $18 million in his campaign fund in July while in his third term and political observers considered that a significant war chest.

Hochul's fundraising impressed some political observers, and sent a message to her political rivals.

[...]

[President Johnson]

Looking forward to see all the political careers of these clowns ended in defeat. They're desperately attempting to replace a scandal-free governor who has governed like a Mainstream Democrat just for opportunistic reasons.

Jumaane is the only one who will still be in elected office and may run for something else (like congress) in the future.

[President Johnson]

Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano has previously expressed interest in running now endorsed Hochul. According to Wikipedia and her campaign Twitter account, she has racked up several endorsements from local Democratic officials and Democratic state legislators in recent days.

https://twitter.com/KathyHochul/status/1466405973963255818

[President Johnson]

Fantastic news!

I never really understood why James jumped in instead of running for reelection to a safe position and in which she has actually done good work. I wish her winning a second term as attorney general now.

Now let's go on to victory, Queen Kathy!

[President Johnson]

There has to have been some sort of backroom deal here. James' campaign is just as hopeless now as it was when she announced, there was no reason for her to back out unless she had some sort of epiphany about her chances, which I seriously doubt. Maybe Hochul agreed not to run in 2026?

More likely her internals showed poor numbers as well, just as the public polls. Why take the risk and be completely out of business? Instead, she can now continue as attorney general. I'm sure the other candidates will drop out soon, or James wins anyway with backing for the Democratic establishment. Would actually be hilarious if Cuomo actually challenges James for attorney general since his name was mentioned for the job.

Also possible some donors convinced James to switch back to the attorney general's race after Hochul had strong fundraising numbers recently and racked up endorsements from several local officials and in the legislature.

Curios whether Suozzi will hang around till June. Hopefully not.

[President Johnson]

I assume this puts to rest any attempt by Cuomo to get his old job back?

Did anyone aside from a handful of Boomer dipsh!ts on Twitter ever think that was even a remote possibility?

tbh I was kind of worried that he could win with like 25-30% of the vote in a divided primary. There is a significant share of the Democratic base that still likes him even now, though it's obviously not a majority, and he still appears to have some friends in the NY Democratic Party.

Plus he has 18 million in campaign contributions on the bank.

I just hope the creep goes away.

[President Johnson]

Why is Suozzi even running? I don’t see much point to his campaign. Does anyone who isn’t a Republican think Hochul is too left?

Self-promotion and utter delusion.

James' support probably splits semi-evenly between Williams and Hochul, maybe with an edge for Williams. Unless anyone stronger than Suozzi jumps in, race goes from Lean Hochul to Likely Hochul.

Don't you think Hochul gets most of James' support. James may be slightly more progressive ideologically, though she was always had ties to the establishment which supported her in 2018 over two other contenders for Attorney General.

[President Johnson]

I am officially ANTI ENDORSING Williams. Everyone should oppose him, he is the worst possible candidate.

Edit: eeehhhh Suozzi might be worse. Luckily you don't have to vote for either of them.

Both are grifters seeking pure self-promotion. Suozzi doesn't even distinct himself much from Cuomo and perhaps wants to become his natural successor. Williams is absolutely toxic and stands for everything that hurts progressives. Their face should be the Fetterman types and not him, which is why he needs to be defeated. Even I thought she could have selected Williams for lt. governor, but turns out this was a very wise decision. He would have hurt her more than help and be disloyal to her in public.

So, get them, Kathy!

[President Johnson]

Big union endorsement for Hochul:

https://twitter.com/KathyHochul/status/1472016219200843781

[President Johnson]

https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/nyc-mayor-bill-blasio-says-140153873.html


Bill De Blasio is probably gonna run for Gov ENDORSED

If he even makes it to the primary, he will get completely crushed. And rightfully so.

[President Johnson]

Zeldin will not win, but he will probably get 40% of the vote.

He should pick a minority for his running mate.

He should pick Fernando Mateo as his running mate. But Mateo is from Downstate, like Zeldin

Do you actually think the running mate means that much in a gubernatorial election? It's up for debate at the presidential level, but most lieutenant governors remain pretty low profile and may only get a few additional votes from their homebase.

[President Johnson]

Suozzi apparently thinks Hochul losing is guaranteed:

https://twitter.com/freedlander/status/1478398077241286662?t=FQdZxi4ocVyNLbVTxKN...

Lmao, support for this guy so great that he hasn't even an endorsement list on Wikipedia.

[President Johnson]

Suozzi's moderate politics plays well in some parts of the state, but he won't win.

He should run for Nassau County Executive in 2025.

Do you think he will finish ahead of Jumaane? I don't think so, if he even makes it to the primary.

[President Johnson]

Hochul just gave her first State of State Address, proposing a "whole new era" and host of political priorities, among them 10 billion dollar in healthcare investments, moderate middle class tax cuts, 100 million for small business recovery, green energy investments and public housing initiatives. Concerns over her governing as a Blue Dog have not become true.

If she can get most of that done, it would be a strong legacy.

https://twitter.com/GovKathyHochul/status/1479595994870435844

[President Johnson]

Hochul just gave her first State of State Address, proposing a "whole new era" and host of political priorities, among them 10 billion dollar in healthcare investments, moderate middle class tax cuts, 100 million for small business recovery, green energy investments and public housing initiatives. Concerns over her governing as a Blue Dog have not become true.

If she can get most of that done, it would be a strong legacy.

https://twitter.com/GovKathyHochul/status/1479595994870435844

Honestly, the tax cuts for anyone on the tax bracket, make her a Blue Dog, if not further to the right than that.

Isn't New York one of the highest taxed states? Passing a moderate tax relief for middle class folks and businesses to spend and reinvest seems to make sense unless it overburdens the state's treasury. I doubt a Democratic legislature with a decent number of progressives would even pass a Republican/Republican-light tax break bill.

[President Johnson]

I have a feeling Suozzi becomes increasingly desperate in his crusade against "interim governor Hochul".

https://twitter.com/nypost/status/1481844102849249283

[President Johnson]

I have a feeling Suozzi becomes increasingly desperate in his crusade against "interim governor Hochul".

https://twitter.com/nypost/status/1481844102849249283

Why did he run against her in the first place? They're both establishment liberal Democrats.

Ego and self-promotion, obviously. He already ran for governor in 2006, so it seems he had a long desire for the job.