New York Gov. Kathy Hochul pushed back Friday against Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s suggestion that the governor’s weakness at the top of the ticket in the Empire State cost Democrats the House.
“I’ll tell you this, no governor in the history of the state of New York has worked harder to elect members of Congress than I have,” Hochul told MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.” “We are going to win this on the ground because I know how to do this. I now have the chance to focus on this.”
In an interview with POLITICO on Thursday, Pelosi blamed Hochul’s closer-than-expected victory in New York’s 2022 gubernatorial race for Democrats inability to maintain their House majority in that year’s elections. New York Republicans flipped four Democratic-held seats in those midterms, races where critics have suggested that Hochul may have been a drag on down-ballot candidates.
Asked about that claim by Pelosi, the governor flatly replied “I don’t agree with that.”
Hochul cited her efforts to begin raising money for New York’s Democratic Party and pour it into local counties, as well as ongoing coordination with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and hundreds of staffers across 35 offices.
Pelosi said Thursday that she hadn’t spoken to Hochul about this year’s races but had consulted with Jeffries as recently as that morning. She emphasized the importance of the “three M’s: mobilization, message, money.”
Hochul acknowledged Friday she can “laser focus” on key purple districts — including Hudson Valley, Syracuse, Central New York and Long Island — now that “I’m not a candidate this year myself.”
“We’re going to win these races and win strong,” she said.