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KEEPIN’ IT WEIRD: Gov. Kathy Hochul got in on the weird fest today.
The Democratic governor, Biden’s one-time biggest fan, jumped into fray today when asked about former President Donald Trump’s running mate JD Vance, who said three years ago that “a bunch of childless cat ladies” from the Democratic party “effectively run this country.” “All I can do is shake my head,” Hochul said of Vance’s comments after her news conference touting a child tax credit expansion. “They’ve been called weird. They’re incredibly weird. They’re just beyond the pale in terms of what is being said.” While it’s a unique line of attack — and an echo of what other nationally-profiled Democrats have been saying — it’s also indicative of Hochul’s new role: the once ride-or-die Bidenite is now all in for Harris. In the past week, Hochul has recalibrated without skipping a beat to boost the vice president and echo the talking points — weird and all — of a presidential campaign that once was all about Biden only nine days ago. (Yes, it’s only been 9 days). But some Democrats in New York question whether Hochul — a Buffalo area native whose rust-belt version of politics melded well with Biden’s “Scranton Joe” persona — can build a similar relationship with the former California prosecutor now topping the ticket. “Harris brings a different, cool, California multi-ethnic role to this,” one New York Democrat, who was granted anonymity to speak frankly, told Playbook. “It’s a relationship that’s still being built, if you will.” Those in the Biden and Hochul camps who spoke with Playbook described it as a natural shift for Hochul, and noted the two women leaders have enjoyed a chummy relationship for years. If you recall, Vice President Harris came to campaign for the governor during her nailbiter of a reelection run in 2022. She was also with Hochul in the wake of the Buffalo mass shooting that year, where Hochul said she saw Harris’ “very large heart” up close. Hochul, one of the most prominent governors with ready access to the nation’s media capital, can also take on a surrogate role for Harris on the issue of abortion, helping to shore up Democrats’ standing with swing female voters whom former President Donald Trump needs. And when Biden stepped down, Hochul whipped New York Democrats within hours to get behind Harris and was allegedly high on the list of people Harris wanted to call once she was coronated as the would-be nominee (The two never talked because of Hochul’s bad cell reception near Lake George, according to the governor). As Democrats fight for control over the House, with six seats up for grabs in New York, Hochul has been adamant about her moves to expand the infrastructure of the state party specifically to aid down-ballot candidates. She has framed that push around giving a potential Harris administration a Democratic majority in Congress. Last weekend, New York Democrats knocked on 20,000 voters’ doors in seven House districts in addition to contacting 140,000 voters so far, the party said today. Hochul’s political allies say the governor will continue to play a key role nationally for the party heading into November. “New York is going to play a pivotal role in the convention and I can tell you the momentum shift has been tremendous and there’s a lot of energy and excitement out there,” Erie County Democratic Committee Chair Jeremy Zellner said. “Kathy Hochul is one of the best retail politicians in a generation and she’d be an asset to any campaign.” — Jason Beeferman and Nick Reisman | 
