LET’S MAKE A DEAL: Gov. Kathy Hochul is lording a special election calendar over President Donald Trump as they negotiate congestion pricing. The Democratic governor is pausing a bill that would delay a special election for a Republican House seat — legislation intended to kneecap the GOP’s fragile hold on power in the House. This all stems from Trump tapping Rep. Elise Stefanik, a MAGA loyalist, to be his U.N. ambassador, leaving Speaker Mike Johnson down a seat in his razor-thin majority once Stefanik resigns. A person familiar with the matter told Playbook Hochul wants to use the bill — which would enable her to extend the period Stefanik’s upstate, largely rural congressional seat sits vacant — as a negotiating tactic against Trump. The two are looking to make a deal on the congestion toll Hochul has gingerly championed that Trump has admonished. “The governor would delay any kind of action on the election bill as a way to generate a little bit more leverage to prevent Trump from unilaterally eliminating congestion pricing,” the person said. It’s a curious turn for Hochul, who supports the now-paused special elections bill in the Legislature, as does House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Democrats’ in the Assembly and Senate put the bill on ice today in Albany. Had it passed, it would have been a massive thorn in the side of House Republicans in Washington. Once Stefanik is confirmed, as is expected, her seat will be left empty. The recently paused bill would have kept that likely Republican seat vacant for longer by consolidating the special election with the general election — prolonging the period that Republicans are down by one seat in Congress. The few Albany Democrats who represent parts of Stefanik’s district say the frozen bill is evidence their own party is playing dirty — and told Playbook they’ll be voting no if it ever comes to the floor. “It is going to disenfranchise the constituents in my district who are also in the 21st congressional district, and I don't support that,” Assemblymember Carrie Woerner, a Democrat who represents Saratoga Springs, said of the recently paused bill. “The vast majority of people in both parties have said this is not what we want.” “I find it concerning any time my constituents are without representation,” said Democratic Assemblymember Billy Jones, who represents Plattsburgh. Jones was under consideration to be the Democrats’ long-shot candidate in the rural district. He recently withdrew from consideration. Democrat Blake Gendebien, a dairy farmer, will run for the seat. “I'm always for saving money, but when we're intertwining it with a political undertone, it's not going to work for me so I could not support it,” said Utica Democratic Assemblymember Marianne Buttenschon, whose district also overlaps with Stefanik’s. “My district deserves to be represented.” — Jason Beeferman
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