CAUGHT IN THEIR STEFANIK SURPRISE: Democratic state lawmakers held secret meetings Friday to delay the special election to replace Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, who is likely to be confirmed as U.N. ambassador. Today, in her first remarks on the controversy, Gov. Kathy Hochul defended her party’s proposal and dismissed any accusation of dirty pool. Stefanik is expected to easily pass the confirmation vote. Democrats are considering asking Hochul — who must schedule the special election between 70 and 90 days of Stefanik’s vacancy — to push it to New York’s June 24 primary this year. Doing so would likely prolong House Speaker Mike Johnson’s two-seat majority, rather than speed up his chance to win a third seat since Stefanik represents a reliably red district. Republicans are furious at their rivals’ move. “In an open display of political corruption, they are aiming to change the election rules to add a long delay in filling the NY-21 seat,” House Speaker Mike Johnson said of New York Democrats in a statement. “Gov. Hochul and other top Democrats are willing accomplices in this delay scheme because they know the seat will be filled by another Republican.” One individual familiar with the discussions stressed that there were no plans to act on the subject soon, they noted. The covert bid is coming at an auspicious time in Albany. New York’s biggest Republican players gathered today at the Albany Hilton for the annual Conservative Party Political Action Conference, and they’re mad. Mad about Hochul’s ballooning $252 billion budget. Mad about the migrant crisis. Mad that the price of fixing the grand, outdoor Capitol staircase has jumped over 11 years from $17 million to $80 million — a picture of Albany’s inefficiency and uninhibited spending. And mad the special election for Stefanik’s seat could be delayed. “I am going to be requesting the Department of Justice open up a RICO investigation into New York State,” said Republican Rep. Mike Lawler, who is eyeing a run for governor next year, told reporters. “Every election law change they have made is not designed to support the people; it's not designed to increase voter participation; it is not designed to allow for a free and fair election. No, it is designed entirely to silence the voice of the minority.” Just one block up State St., Hochul was arguing a delayed special election for Stefanik’s seat would boost voter participation and avoid straining local election commissions. “You're talking about a lot of expenses for smaller counties,” Hochul said. “You can always count on one thing — that Republicans will scream loudly if there's ever an effort to bring voter access to more people, they just don't like it." Meanwhile, conservatives were charting their path to power, gaming how they can win the governor’s mansion next year and take advantage of Hochul’s flagging favorability ratings. (A Siena poll published today showed more people view President Donald Trump positively than Hochul, though way more people view Trump unfavorably.) Even though he lost New York, Trump improved his margin here in November. But Democrats remain in control of both chambers of the state Legislature and every statewide seat. Lawler, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman and Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon, each telegraphed their own statewide ambitions at the conference. “It’s the suburbs where we can really generate a lot of votes — and all it takes is to be bold, have leadership skills,” Blakeman, widely considered a GOP gubernatorial contender to take on Hochul next year, told POLITICO Pro Sunday, when politicos were arriving for the conference. “We need a leadership team in Albany that’s going to tackle this issue and fix these problems — or else we won’t be able to meet a moment in time where we can truly come back,” McMahon told attendees earlier today. — Jason Beeferman, Nick Reisman and Bill Mahoney | 
