Hochul, hoping to have coattails on LI, has opened 14 field offices

Daily Point

Boosted by cash and poll numbers, governor seeks to fund, energize state Democratic Party

Behind the scenes in the high-profile contest for the state’s highest elected position, Gov. Kathy Hochul has been maneuvering and spending cash to help Democratic candidates.

Hochul’s play on Long Island is bigger than just her own campaign to retain the governorship.

Hochul said she intends to pull Democrat candidates in other New York races with her across the finish line in November. To do that, she has opened 42 field offices and hired 100 staff around the state, including 14 field offices on Long Island. Those offices are in congressional districts 1, 3 and 4 but none in CD2. Political parties and campaigns typically use field offices for outreach and to support local candidates in downballot races. The campaign declined to disclose the specific address of each field office.

Republican Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, who is challenging Hochul this November, said Hochul will struggle to win over voters on Long Island. "I wish them good luck convincing volunteers to overlook Hochul’s tax hikes, soaring utility costs, and pro-criminal record," Blakeman said in a statement emailed by a spokeswoman.

When asked by Newsday’s editorial board who runs the show for the state Democratic Party, Hochul replied, "You’re looking at the leader of the party in New York State."

Fair enough.

And as the state’s top elected official and top Democrat, Hochul has leaned into the role of powerbroker, backing candidates in congressional and State Legislature races. She even took sides in Suffolk’s battle for party chair by endorsing Rich Schaffer, who glazed about it in a Facebook post saying, "Endorsed by the HIGHEST Democratic Elected Official in New York State!"

Since 2024, Hochul has wanted to get more New York Democrats elected. "And so my job is to continue raising the state party, raise the money so I can do what I did just a couple years ago; took a stagnating state party and infusing it with the energy and the money" she said on July 6.

After crediting Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries in that effort, Hochul made it crystal clear who New York’s boss is by adding, "… but I was the primary driver of this. With that, I opened up 42 field offices … I hired an additional 100 field operators that they couldn't afford before."

As for her own reelection effort, Hochul said she campaigns like an underdog, even if she is the biggest dog in the kennel. "Now, I have to say this. I’m a Buffalo Bills fan, so I always run like an underdog. I perform better. I always do. Seeing that I’m up 9 in Suffolk, for example, you know, it doesn’t mean I’m going to spend less time in Suffolk. … So, I take nothing for granted, is my point. I run hard no matter what."

She leads in a recent Siena poll statewide by 20 points and another poll by 6 points.

Hochul’s campaign has $20 million in the bank, according to the most recent campaign finance filings with the state Board of Elections. Blakeman has under $2 million but he successfully won a legal tussle to get matching campaign funds. The next campaign finance disclosures are due by the end of July 15.

Right now Hochul has a powerful one-two combo of strong poll numbers and millions in campaign cash, and she can throw that influence around in local Long Island elections to not only back Democrats, but Democrats who take marching orders from her in return. That’s a political gravy train most candidates will jump on.

— Mark Nolan mark.nolan@newsday.com

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Quick Points

Cyclosporiasis isn’t a mythological villain -- it’s worse

• If you don’t know what cyclosporiasis is, do yourself a favor and don’t look it up. The intestinal illness is ripping through states, including New York, which now has the second highest number of reported cases, according to the CDC. No need to go into a vivid description of the effect of cyclosporiasis; there’s plenty online to turn the stomachs of imperturbable pathophiles and grossologists. Wash your fruits and vegetables.
• Speaking of illnesses that can cause revolting bodily reactions, a salmonella outbreak on the East End has impacted at least 58 people since the beginning of July. Can we just get to the summer enjoyment already and not have to worry about sharks, bacteria or ticks?
• Speaking of sharks, the state DEC issued a list of handy tips to "help minimize the risk of negative interactions between people and sharks" at ocean beaches. Tips include staying away from areas with seals and schools of fish, which many species of shark prey upon. One tip not listed: If you see a fin, don’t jump in the water.
• Even adorable penguins aren’t safe from intrusive technology. Stony Brook University researchers are using satellite images to look at Adélie penguin colonies and their poop to see if changes in sea ice are impacting their diet. Guess that’s better than a hands-on experiment sifting through penguin excrement.
• There’s quite a stir over Sen. Mitch McConnell’s hospital bed proof-of-life photograph, with social media sleuths claiming without evidence the picture of him holding a newspaper was doctored-up more than McConnell. In the age of AI and politics, it’s always trust but verify.

— Mark Nolan mark.nolan@newsday.com

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