OVER THE RIVER: New Jersey Sen. Robert Menendez was found guilty on all 16 counts of fraud and bribery in his federal corruption trial. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who had largely stayed silent during Menendez’s legal woes, called on the New Jersey Democrat to quit: “In light of this guilty verdict, Senator Menendez must now do what is right for his constituents, the Senate, and our country, and resign.” ALL'S GOOD IN MODERATION: Rep. Tom Suozzi and Gov. Kathy Hochul are not just political enemies-turned-allies. The two Democrats represent a broader effort by the party in New York to inch back toward the center after years of gains by progressive candidates. “All you have to do is look at the results here in New York and across the country,” said Jason Elan, a Democratic consultant on Long Island who has worked for Hochul. “You are seeing moderates take back their territory. You’re seeing voters reject some of these extreme positions.” Hochul and Suozzi, former rivals for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination, were on Long Island this morning to announce $50 million for law enforcement in Nassau and Suffolk Counties. The governor, who has pressed for measures rolling back the state’s controversial cashless bail law, used the occasion to rebuke calls from left-leaning candidates to cut funding for cops. “I’m investing in local police, I’m investing in county police, I’m investing in sheriffs,” she said. Democrats face an increasingly challenging political environment this year. Former President Donald Trump has rallied the GOP base following Saturday’s assassination attempt. House Republicans, including those defending pivotal seats on Long Island and in the Hudson Valley, are increasingly confident this election season. And some Democrats are worried deep blue New York is in danger of slipping away amid persistent voter concerns over the cost of living and the perception that crime remains high. The state will be pivotal for control of the narrowly divided House this year with as many as six seats in play. But Democratic leaders in New York can point to some successes in pushing the party back toward the middle. Suozzi, a moderate, reclaimed his Queens-Nassau County House seat in a February special election by focusing in large part on public safety and the migrant crisis. Centrist George Latimer, who ran on a pro-Israel platform, defeated Squad member Rep. Jamaal Bowman in a June primary. New York Democratic Chair Jay Jacobs also endorsed moderates in primaries, including John Avlon to run against Republican Rep. Nick LaLota in an eastern Long Island House seat. Republicans scoff at efforts by Democrats to move toward the middle. “They want that narrative because that actually makes it seem like they care about issues like crime or a runaway border — things that are really topping the polls right now,” said Dave Catalfamo, a political consultant who is advising Rep. Marc Molinaro this year. “There’s nothing to suggest that’s real or sustainable.” Catalfamo said the centrist victories in New York this year were largely situational: Bowman had his own political baggage, and Suozzi is a well-known figure on Long Island. Hochul knows what it’s like to win in a Republican-dominated district. She did it when she was a county clerk who opposed Republican Medicare plans but also fought against driver’s licenses for undocumented immigrants (the latter position she has since recanted). And candidates like Latimer and Suozzi can help Democrats across the state — especially those running in GOP-leaning areas. “Those are the kind of candidates we’ve always tried to run in the rural counties,” said Judith Hunter, chair of the Democratic Rural Conference. “Unfairly, downstate Democrats have been to a certain extent demonized in the rural political culture.” — Nick Reisman | 
