Fresh off making history, pundit says Gov. Kathy Hochul must now captain New York through perilous waters
NEW YORK -- New York voters made history, making Buffalo native Kathy Hochul the first woman to be elected governor.
Breaking the glass ceiling didn't come easy. The governor had to keep up a frenetic pace in the last two weeks to galvanize voters.
With 94% of the votes counted, Hochul had 53% to 47% for Republican challenger Lee Zeldin.
As CBS2's political reporter Marcia Kramer reports, Zeldin did finally congratulate Hochul on becoming the first woman in 230 years to be elected governor of the Empire State, but not without a parting shot.
Zeldin pointed out that he - a congressman from Long Island, in the bluest of blue states, actually captured 49 of 62 counties. True, but Hochul won the biggest prizes, including every borough of the Big Apple except Staten Island, plus Westchester, Buffalo, and Albany, among others.
"You made your voices heard loud and clear. You made me the first woman governor ever elected as governor of this extraordinary state," Hochul said.
She's the accidental governor no more.
Kathleen Courtney Hochul may have become the state's 57th governor in August, 2021 when Andrew Cuomo resigned due to a sexual harassment scandal, but she clinched a full four year term on her own. Fifty six men in New York's 230-year history have held the title. She is the first woman, and she was grateful to the voters who put their faith in her.
"Because of you, we will keep making progress, breaking down barriers, breaking glass ceilings. Helping New York achieve the greatness it is capable of," Hochul said.
It wasn't an easy win. She saw her commanding 24-point lead last August dwindle to single digits, forcing her into an end of campaign marathon that brought President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former President Bill Clinton into New York to stump for her.
"I will lead with strength and compassion, not anger and fear," Hochul said.
That was a dig at Republican challenger Zeldin, who she accused to stoking fear by rushing from crime scene to crime scene to attack her ability to keep people safe.
Zeldin, who refused to concede Tuesday night, finally offered his congratulations, but he said that his success in running a close race in deep blue New York was a warning that many New Yorkers "are hitting their breaking point."
"As they take office in January, Governor Kathy Hochul and those controlling Albany must address the grave concerns voiced by the voters. While this campaign has come to a close, the rescue mission to Save Our State continues," Zeldin said.
The governor laid out an ambitious agenda of building affordable housing, creating jobs, protecting abortion rights and, of course, public safety. She says she wants a safe state, where "we live without fear, safe in our neighborhoods and in our subways, with illegal guns off the street."
She also discussed protecting abortion rights.
"Where our fundamental rights are protected and women can make decisions about our own bodies," Hochul said.
Hochul has a lot of laudable goals, but it's not clear she and the legislature see eye to eye. 2023 is going to be a tough year, with a lot of problems.
Hochul says she's a street fighter, more than capable of governing a state. In her own words, "as rough and tumble as New York." But there may be some in Albany whispering "we'll see about that" as the governor tries to deal with a host of sticky wicket problems.
"I'm not here to make history. I'm here to make a difference," Hochul said.
Whether she is able to make a difference may depend on her ability to build consensus in the often fractious world of Albany politics, where lawmakers, often more liberal than her, dominate the power structure in both the Assembly and the Senate.
"The good news for her is that she has to deal with the Republicans. The bad news is she has to deal with the Republicans," said political expert Hank Sheinkopf.
Sheinkopf was discussing the new reality Hochul will face as she tries to get the legislature to make changes to bail reform and other criminal justice laws that Zeldin, Mayor Eric Adams and many voters blame for the failure to get crime under control on the streets and on the subway system.
"There's going to have to be some criminal justice reforms on the bail laws," Sheinkopf said. "And if we don't solve the crime problem, we're going to have more people leaving."
She will also have to deal with the unpopular congestion pricing plan, which the MTA says it needs to rebuild the crumbling 100-year-old subway system.
Problem is, both New York state and New York City are living on borrowed fiscal time - a fiscal crisis looms, and there are questions about how the state can afford to pay for all the things the governor wants to do. Experts say some initiatives may have to be postponed or cancelled in the name of fiscal austerity.
"The fiscal problem she is going to face in New York City and New York state are significant. New York City is in particular trouble. People are beginning to understand that she's going to have to be the captain of the ship that steers us through the criminal justice crisis while getting us through the fiscal crisis," Sheinkopf said.
But before she has to face the cold, hard realities of Albany - and it is very cold there - first a little fun in the sun, or at least a change of scenery. She's expected to fly to Puerto Rico for the Somos Hispanic convention Thursday.