ALBANY, NY – The first official debate in the Democratic primaries for New York governor took place last week with little attention or fanfare, and perhaps for good reason: The favorite in the race, Gov. Kathy Hochuldid not attend.
That will change on Tuesday, with the first debate scheduled between Ms Hochul and her two main party opponents, the Representative. Thomas R. Suozzi of Long Island and Jumaane D. WilliamsNew York City public advocate.
The hour-long debate, which will be hosted and broadcast by WCBS-TV, will provide candidates with an opportunity to introduce themselves to voters and test their arguments against Ms. people, with the June 28 primaries only three weeks away. Go, take a lead in the polls.
But the same polls show areas of voter concern – including concerns about crime and disapproval of a massive government subsidy for a new Buffalo Bills stadium – that could evoke Notice the potential weaknesses in the governor’s armor.
Last week’s debate between the two was a joint opportunity for Mr Williams and Mr Suozzi to speak to Ms Hochul, offering a glimpse of the lines of attack they could use during the debate on Tuesday. Tuesday and on the campaign trail. .
How will Miss Hochul resist the attacks she has seen before? Will the non-aggression pact between Mr Suozzi and Mr Williams displayed last week hold up? Is there still time for a breakthrough moment that could change the shape of the race?
Here’s a look at the candidates and some of the key issues they’ll face.
Focus on crime
Even before the mass shootings in Buffalo, Tulsa, and Uvalde, Texas, addressing gun violence was a top priority for New York politicians, and it takes on even more urgency now. .
Mr. Suozzi has made fighting crime central to his platform, launching a 15-point plan and repeatedly demanding a rollback to changes made in recent years to New York’s bail law to reduce the number of people detained due to lack of bail. money. One feature of Mr. Suozzi’s plan involves giving judges full discretion to assess the “danger” of defendants when placing bail.
Ms. Hochul made similar proposals in the most recent legislative session, securing some changes but finding opposition from others in the left-leaning Legislature. She is likely to support these amendments, as well as the gun-safety bill package she recently signed into law, as proof that her administration has made progress in preventing violence. gun force.
On the other side of the issue is Mr. Williams, who has opposed rolling back the bail reforms and said state agencies and community groups could “co-create” public safety, if allowed. provide appropriate funding.
Suozzi will choose himself as an experienced CEO
During most of the campaign, Mr. Suozzi rarely missed an opportunity to question Hochul’s abilities, and hint that New Yorkers were not safe under her leadership.
This tactic has the potential to both help and hurt Mr. Suozzi, according to political observers. On the one hand, he is well-positioned to point out Hochul’s contradictions, such as criticizing Washington for doing little on gun safety when she was hardly a supporter of gun reform during the era. time in Congress, even receiving the approval of the NRA at one point.
By attacking too hard, Mr. Suozzi could risk being bullied or fired – especially dangerous given the framework of the New Democratic primary district, analysts say. York.
“Look, 58 to 60 percent of the primary voters in this election will be female,” said Bruce Gyory, a Democratic political consultant. Democrats, adding that “a lot of them are really good, highly educated professional women. ”
Mr. Suozzi highlighted his background as Nassau County executive and mayor Glen Cove, showing that he is best equipped to lead the state as an experienced executive. experience.
In addition to focusing on changing bail laws, Mr. Suozzi said he would push for property tax cuts and ask the state government to do what it can to make New York more attractive for business.
Those positions put him in the same ideological territory as Mrs. Hochul. Perhaps that’s why Mr. Suozzi has struggled so far in polls or fundraising, raising $3.5 million in the last reporting period, versus more than 10 million dollars of Mrs. Hochul.
Williams has his own progression lane
As the only left-wing candidate in increasingly progressive status, Mr Williams has a clear path ahead. He also has experience with Ms. Hochul: In 2018, he lost to her in a competitive race for governor.
However, his gubernatorial campaign has so far failed to generate momentum. raised only $250,000 in the final application period.
At last week’s debate, Mr. Williams refrained from petting Mr. Suozzi, saving his silliness to the governor. He repeatedly suggested that Ms. Hochul’s six-year tenure as lieutenant colonel to Andrew M. Cuomo, who resigned last year amid allegations of sexual misconduct, had left her complicit with a some of his more unpopular policies.
Mr. Williams also said that Ms. Hochul should have more to show from her time in office, citing lack of access to food and transit options in The neighborhood is mainly Black Buffalo the site of last month’s mass shooting as proof that she’s done little for voters in her hometown.
During Tuesday’s debate, political analysts suggested, Mr. Williams would need to strike without exaggeration. But more than that, he’ll hope at a breakthrough time that can bring his candidate and ideas – like public power, free public universities, and a public safety-based approach to community building, rather than policy – into the conversation.
But that’s easier said than done, said Steve Israel, a former congressman from Long Island who ran the House Democratic campaign and endorsed Ms. Hochul.
“Unless you have a grenade with a pin that comes out halfway, it’s very hard to get through,” he said.
Hochul will practice risk management
The calculation for Mrs. Hochul was the opposite. Armed with incumbent power, a bunch of endorsements from powerful unions, and a $18.6 million campaign chest, she’ll do all she can to maintain current momentum. of race.
Ms. Hochul will likely seek to highlight the victories she won in the most recent legislative session, including gun safety laws and abortion rights and a gas tax holiday, while trying to steer the debate away from controversy.
It’s not easy. Her first lieutenant governor, Brian Benjamin, resigned after being indicted on federal bribery charges; the Bills . Stadium Agreement heavily criticized; and the fundraising records she set in her first year in office have raised questions about her ties to major donors.
The debate will give her opponents the opportunity to press buttons to find answers to difficult questions on live television. However, if she can fend off attacks from left and right, strategists say, she’ll be well-positioned to claim a forward position.
“Her best-case scenario is the status quo,” said Evan Stavisky, president of Parkside Group, a political consulting firm.
“She needs to be strong in her defense because she has the potential to be the focus of contrast from her opponents,” he said. “She needs to talk about her successes and to get out of there without changing the underlying dynamics of the race.”
Strengthening the New York Economy
Another key question for the candidates is how to revitalize the state’s economy, especially as New York continues to recover from the worst effects of the coronavirus pandemic and a the number of residents leaving other states.
Each candidate has different explanations for why people flow. Mr. Suozzi blamed crime and taxes. Mr. Williams pointed to an overall increase in prices and employers forcing workers to return to the office. He suggested that the state should accept a “new normal.”
Miss Hochul tried to thread the needle, commit to make New York “the most business- and worker-friendly state in the nation.” How successful she was is sure to be a subject of much debate.
