NY Democratic Convention: Gov. Kathy Hochul receives party's nomination for governor
NEW YORK -- Gov. Kathy Hochul scored a major political coup, securing the Democratic nomination to run for a full four-year term.
But as CBS2's Marcia Kramer reported Thursday, Hochul might still have to face two challengers in a June primary.
Hochul broke the glass ceiling in New York, inheriting the job as chief executive when Andrew Cuomo was forced to resign last summer. Now, she wants to win the job on her own and to show she's got the right stuff to lead the state out of the pandemic and into a new era of prosperity.
"We'll rise up for New Yorkers from Buffalo to Brooklyn. We'll rise up for upstate and downstate. Rise up. We will rise up. We will rise up," Hochul said.
It was the governor's moment to rise up and bask in the support of the Democratic party. In the six months since "Kathy who?" became the 57th governor of new york she has solidified her hold on the Democratic Party and raised a whopping $21 million campaign war chest, big enough to scare Attorney General Letitia James to drop out of the race and instead seek re-election.
Hochul was jubilant Thursday.
"We collectively, as Democrats, are poised to seize the torch," Hochul said.
Hochul, the state's first female chief executive, was introduced by Hillary Clinton, the first woman to run for president of the United States.
"Isn't it about time that the state that gave birth to the women's suffrage movement, the state that's always been at the forefront of progress and reform, isn't it about time we elect a woman as our governor?" Clinton said.
The at-times raucous convention delivered Hochul the nomination with 85% of the vote, but despite her support and cash, she could still face a June primary. Public Advocate Jumaane Williams and Long Island Congressman Tom Souzzi say they are anxious to take their cases directly to the people.
"We're excited to get on the ground. It's actually where we do best. So while the governor has clearly raised $20 million, we're going to represent 20 million people in the state of New York," Williams said.
Suozzi said he's going to go after Hochul on a host of issues, including crime and taxes.
"Democracy doesn't work unless there's competition. You have to be debating. I've got a better idea than you do. I can do it better than you. I can do it cheaper. I can do it faster. I can help more people," Suozzi said.
The governor seemed energized by the challenge.
"Here's my playbook. You run with confidence, with the tenacity of the underdog. You take nothing for granted and you fight until the very last second," Hochul said.
Although Williams and Suozzi say they're running, they both have to collect 15,000 signatures from around the state to actually get on the primary ballot. Both said Thursday they're confident they'll be able to do it.
Meanwhile, the GOP will gather for the New York State Republican Convention from Feb. 28 to March 1 at the Garden City Hotel on Long Island.
The decision for Nassau County to host the convention came after Republicans won several key elections last November.
