Kathy Hochul (DEMOCRATIC) — Candidate for Governor

Governor

Currently serving — Governor of New York →

Kathy Hochul

DemocraticIncumbent

Affordability and taxes

Supports expanding child care, reducing insurance and utility costs, raising eligibility for rent-freeze programs, ending state income taxes on tips, and freezing SUNY and CUNY tuition. The plan also calls for utility oversight and energy-saving investments to reduce household bills.

✓ Track record — what they've actually done

Signed the FY 2027 budget, which enacted child-care expansion, a $1 billion energy rebate program and other affordability measures.

Governor of New York · 2026-05-28 · Signed the FY 2027 enacted budget; measures were enacted, with implementation continuing.

Governor Kathy Hochul — FY 2027 budget signing ↗

Governor Kathy Hochul, New York State ↗

Public safety

Supports targeted enforcement, more resources for law enforcement and first responders, stronger gun laws against homemade and 3-D-printed firearms, police on subway platforms, expanded SCOUT teams, and emergency-response improvements. She also links public safety to mental-health care and road-safety measures.

✓ Track record — what they've actually done

Signed the FY 2027 budget, which enacted more than $900 million in public-safety funding and new gun and transit-safety measures.

Governor of New York · 2026-05-28 · Signed the FY 2027 enacted budget; measures were enacted, with implementation continuing.

Governor Kathy Hochul — FY 2027 budget signing ↗

Governor Kathy Hochul, New York State ↗

Housing supply and costs

Supports reforms to speed housing construction while retaining environmental safeguards. Her FY27 budget enacted SEQRA reforms for qualifying housing and infrastructure projects, eliminating duplicative reviews while retaining environmental criteria.

✓ Track record — what they've actually done

Signed FY 2027 budget legislation reforming SEQRA to expedite qualifying housing and infrastructure projects while retaining environmental criteria.

Governor of New York · 2026-05-27 · Signed into law as part of the FY 2027 enacted budget; implementation status beyond enactment is not established.

Governor Kathy Hochul — Let Them Build signing ↗

Governor Kathy Hochul, New York State ↗

Immigration and federal enforcement

Supports restricting state and local participation in civil immigration enforcement while preserving cooperation on criminal cases. Her FY27 enacted budget bars local agencies from entering 287(g) agreements, limits use of public resources for civil enforcement, and protects schools, libraries, youth centers and other sensitive locations.

✓ Track record — what they've actually done

Signed the FY 2027 budget package enacting restrictions on local participation in federal civil immigration enforcement and protections for sensitive locations and public employees.

Governor of New York · 2026-05-28 · Signed into law as part of the FY 2027 enacted budget; implementation status beyond enactment is not established.

Governor Kathy Hochul — Comprehensive immigration plan signing ↗

Governor Kathy Hochul, New York State ↗

Energy costs and reliability

Supports an all-of-the-above energy strategy that includes expanding nuclear power, adding reliable generation and transmission, and continuing clean-energy projects while seeking immediate rate relief. She has proposed stronger utility oversight, household energy-saving assistance and requiring very large data centers to provide or pay more for their power use.

✓ Track record — what they've actually done

Signed the FY 2027 budget, which enacted a $1 billion energy-rebate program and utility ratepayer protections.

Governor of New York · 2026-05-28 · Signed the FY 2027 enacted budget; measures were enacted, with implementation continuing.

Governor Kathy Hochul — FY 2027 budget signing ↗

Governor Kathy Hochul, New York State ↗

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Others running for Governor

Bruce A. Blakeman