Hochul, James among incumbents endorsed at NY Democratic convention

New York Democratic leaders met in New York City earlier this week to officially nominate Gov. Kathy Hochul, U.S. Sen Chuck Schumer and other incumbents as the party’s official nominees for 2022.

Hochul, who became the first woman to lead the state after Gov. Andrew Cuomo resigned last August, received more than 85% of the vote at the party’s convention at the Sheraton New York in Times Square.

Among the speakers at the two-day event, which ended Thursday, was former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The former First Lady and U.S. senator for New York endorsed Hochul. Clinton said Hochul's presence at the top of the ticket will help party nominees up and down the ballot in November.

“I’ve known Kathy for a long time, and I can tell you something everybody is learning,” Clinton said. “No one will work harder for the people of the Empire State. Every county, every community. She is a governor for all of us.”

Hochul used her acceptance speech to highlight parts of her platform for the upcoming election. That included tougher gun laws to protect everyone, including kids and law enforcement officers, and paving the way toward “a 100 percent clean energy future” for the New Yorkers to come.

The governor also said she’d fight to protect members of the LGBTQ-plus community and for “undocumented workers and dreamers” in the state.

“Democrats have made New York a better place to work and to raise a family,” she said. “We’re taking on the tough fights that matter. We’re showing that we listen first, and we act with conviction and fortitude.”

Hochul’s acceptance speech was interrupted slightly by supporters for U.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi, a candidate who did not participate in the convention vote.

Suozzi and others can still challenge Hochul in a primary by gathering enough signatures on a petition.

On Twitter Friday, the Long Island congressman said more than 13,000 voters joined him in a virtual town hall on Thursday evening. He also revealed two new campaign commercials that will focus on Hochul’s record with the National Rifle Association, as well as his platform for reducing taxes and addressing crime.

Besides Hochul and Schumer, the Senate’s majority leader in Washington, the convention also backed Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin, Comptroller Tom DiNapoli and Attorney General Letitia James.

James, who had previously flirted with a run for governor, noted her office’s investigations of Cuomo and of former President Trump and said she would not be “bullied” by either.

The attorney general won a key legal victory later on Thursday when a Manhattan judge ruled Trump, two of his children and his company must comply with subpoenas they received in James’ investigation into the Trump Organization.

She also said Cuomo, who has recently started to re-emerge in public after resigning six months ago, will never accept the truth regarding the investigation into sexual harassment claims against him.

“The evidence was clear and overwhelming, and these women shared their truth,” she said. “They shared their vulnerability. These were serious allegations that needed to be investigated vigorously and independently, and that is exactly what was done.”

In a statement Thursday, Cuomo spokesman Rich Azzopardi took aim at James. He called the report the independent investigation produced “a proven fraud” after prosecutors declined to proceed with charges against the former governor.