Privately, she fundraises. Publicly, she’s silent. Kathy Hochul’s non-endorsement policy.

Jun 18, 2024

Gov. Kathy Hochul stands behind a microphone.

Gov. Kathy Hochul is raising money for a host of Democratic candidates ahead of Tuesday's primary, but Hochul won't endorse anyone publicly this year. | Susan Watts/Office of Governor Kathy Hochul

NON-ENDORSEMENT DEAL: Gov. Kathy Hochul has been making her way around the fundraising circuit this year, but don’t ask her who she’s backing.

The Democratic governor has adopted the curious policy of not endorsing anyone in their primary challenges on her home turf, despite helping President Joe Biden’s bid on the national TV circuit.

And we really mean anyone. Longtime confidants, trusted colleagues and fellow moderates — it doesn’t matter how close they are to Hochul, no New Yorker is getting her official backing this cycle.

The governor’s non-endorsement policy further separates her from former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who issued endorsements up and down the state — from Richmond Hill to Rochester, from state Assembly to U.S. Congress. Her predecessor even backed politicians he had personal beefs with.

Political veterans say Hochul’s policy is smart: best not to make enemies when it’s not necessary. They also say it’s a reflection of her weak standing in the polls.

“Here’s the real answer: Why would anyone want Kathy Hochul to endorse in her race?” said one New York Democratic consultant, who asked not to be named for fear it would damage her relationship with the Hochul’s team. “She's underwater even with Democrats. I don't think anyone's looking for an endorsement, and she's happy not to give it.”

The similarly unpopular New York City Mayor Eric Adams is taking a similar tack — so far, he’s publicly endorsed only Queens Assemblymember Ron Kim, despite backing multiple candidates in previous years. But “we’ll make that consideration” on endorsing other candidates before the primary, Adams said Monday — one week and one day before the election, with early voting underway.

Hochul’s staying out of the fray as her party’s split between her fellow moderates and progressives increasingly defines congressional and state legislative races.

But it’s not as if she isn’t putting her thumb on the scales at all. She’s appeared at fundraisers for Upper West Side Assembly candidate Micah Lasher — her former director of policy — and New Jersey Senate candidate Tammy Murphy. She also headlined a host of local Democratic fundraisers.

“As the leader of the New York Democratic Party, Governor Hochul is focused on defeating MAGA Republicans and ensuring Democrats win up and down the ballot in November,” Hochul’s campaign spokesperson, Jen Goodman, said.

Even as she hosted a fundraiser for Lasher — whose challenger, Eli Northrup, secured the endorsement of the district’s outgoing Assemblymember, Danny O’Donnell — Hochul has refrained from endorsing her former top aide.

Donations at Hochul’s fundraiser for Murphy included $3,300 and $6,600 tiers, but she never endorsed Murphy, either. The wife of New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy has since dropped out of the race. Neither she nor Lasher responded to our outreach.

"I think it's smart policy because she is the governor,” said Lupe Todd-Medina, a Democratic consultant who worked on Hochul’s reelection campaign. “You really want to only endorse when it's the Democrat versus the Republican." — Jason Beeferman

From The Campaign Trail

A headshot of NY-1 Democratic House candidate Nancy Goroff

NY-01 candidate Nancy Goroff is a prolific Democratic donor. | Provided by the Nancy Goroff campaign

ONE-FOR-ONE IN NY-01: Long Island House candidate Nancy Goroff boasts endorsements from 15 elected officials and candidates — and she has given campaign donations to every single one of them.

Now her Democratic primary opponent, John Avlon, is accusing her of trying to buy the election.

Goroff has also personally loaned her campaign $1.2 million, doubling the $1 million she raised from outside donations.

Goroff’s endorsers include three members of Congress from her home state of Illinois, and one from Florida. Goroff and her husband, Chris Beach, have given to all of them, including $8,600 to Rep. Bill Foster of Illinois in 2023.

Goroff gave to her local endorsers too, including $20,000 last year to former Suffolk County Executive candidate Dave Calone, and $9,100 to former Brookhaven Town Supervisor candidate Lillian Clayman.

Goroff made millions from her ex-husband’s work at a hedge fund, and is a prolific Democratic donor, contributing more than $375,000 to state candidates and nearly $1 million to federal candidates over the past 20 years.

“Nancy is a Democrat who’s always been donating to Democrats. Avlon gave to Giuliani,” campaign spokesperson Maggie Touchton told Playbook, pointing to Avlon’s 2007 donation to the presidential campaign of his former boss, Rudy Giuliani, who went on to become one of Donald Trump’s lawyers.

The winner of the primary will face GOP Rep. Nick LaLota in November.

Avlon campaign manager Bryan Sokolowski touted Avlon’s local endorsements, which include Assemblymembers Fred Thiele and Steve Stern, saying he’s “built real, authentic and local support from every corner of Suffolk County. John has energized local Democrats with a strong, positive and hopeful message — and that's something money can't buy." — Jeff Coltin

NY-16 BREAK$ RECORD: The high-stakes faceoff between Rep. Jamaal Bowman and George Latimer is now the most expensive House primary ever, according to AdImpact.

Ad spending by AIPAC’s offshoot, the United Democracy Project, against Bowman accounts for more than $14 million of the approximately $23 million in overall buys flooding New York airwaves.

UDP’s filings to the FEC additionally show hundreds of thousands of dollars in non-ad spending such as phone and mail outreach to boost Latimer.

The New York Working Families Party, supporting Bowman, has sought to track all the AIPAC spending on one website, as reported first in Playbook.

It’s not just AIPAC and UDP targeting Bowman, whose criticism of the U.S. funding for Israel amid the war in Gaza has made him the prime target of pro-Israel lobbies.

Crypto PAC Fairshake has also invested more than $2 million in anti-Bowman ads, as reported first in Playbook.

The Westchester County and Bronx primary will be decided next Tuesday. — Emily Ngo

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From the Capitol

Drug Policy Alliance Kassandra Frederique speaks at a rally.

Protesters gathered outside Gov. Kathy Hochul's office Tuesday while she was celebrating the shuttering of multiple illegal cannabis shops. | Mona Zhang/POLITICO

KATHY PADLOCK HOCHUL — Dueling cannabis pressers in Midtown Manhattan today highlighted the angst surrounding Hochul’s implementation of New York’s 2021 legalization law.

At the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, the governor touted the state’s ramped-up cannabis enforcement numbers, explaining how the crackdown is helping licensed business owners.

“We've seen legal sales rise dramatically in the enforcement areas,” Hochul told reporters. “That means over a million dollars in additional revenue.”

Hochul touted a 27 percent increase in legal sales during the first week of June, compared with a month earlier. The new effort to crack down on unlicensed shops has resulted in 187 inspections, $30 million worth of cannabis products seized and padlocking 114 unlicensed shops in the first month, she said.

Hochul thanked small-business owners for holding on “because a new day has arrived. It’s a new era for the cannabis industry right here in the state of New York.”

But entrepreneurs weren’t exactly feeling hopeful. Outside the governor’s Manhattan office, activists gathered to criticize her leadership.

Some expressed concern that Hochul’s focus on licensing a group of applicants who have already secured real estate will negatively impact entrepreneurs lacking those resources. Others worried a program to license entrepreneurs with past cannabis convictions has been abandoned.

Justice-impacted entrepreneurs are “not a priority,” said Shanduke McPhatter. “The priority now is general licensing.”

McPhatter told Playbook he’s still waiting on news of his license application, which he submitted in September 2022. — Mona Zhang

UNMASKING: Limits on mask wearing in public settings will wait until next year, Hochul told reporters today after her cannabis announcement.

Adams wants to address mask wearing over concerns people are committing crimes while covering their faces on mass transit or at pro-Palestinian demonstrations in the city.

Hochul has largely agreed on the need for new regulations, but says she wants to address the issue carefully given health reasons for face coverings.

“There’s a smart way to do this,” she said, adding, “I would not reinstate the law as it was written before. ... I don’t want selective prosecution.”

State lawmakers concluded their annual legislative session on June 8 and are not expected to return to Albany until January.

Hochul’s statement seems to take off the table a potential special session of the Legislature later this year.

Speaker Carl Heastie on Monday also acknowledged questions over how to adequately enforce a ban. — Nick Reisman

IN OTHER NEWS

— GET TO THE CHOPPER: NYPD helicopters are spending more time in the air and taking more flights out of the city under Mayor Adams, costing city taxpayers $12.4 million. (Bloomberg)

— UNIONIZED: Staten Island’s Amazon labor union has joined forces with the Teamsters. (The City)

— A TRUE POLITICAL FOIL: City Comptroller Brad Lander filed an open records request for details on Hochul congestion pricing reversal. (New York Daily News)

— ADAMS GETS TRIPPED UP: The mayor said he was personally footing the bill for a trip to Mexico, Ecuador and Colombia, but financial disclosures tell a different story. (The City)

Missed this morning’s New York Playbook? Read it here.

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