HOCHUL MAKES REELECTION PITCH AT STATE OF THE STATE

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul used her annual State of the State address Tuesday to unveil a reelection-year agenda aimed at bridging divides in the Democratic Party, according to the Associated Press. Speaking to a packed crowd at The Egg, a domed theater near the state Capitol in Albany, Hochul tied her proposals to both liberal energy around President Donald Trump and the excitement around Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

The governor announced an affordability-focused agenda and said it included a plan to expand pre-kindergarten programs statewide. She also used the speech to target Trump’s immigration crackdown, saying protecting New Yorkers “also means standing up to ICE agents who abuse their power,” the AP reported.

In addition to her criticism of federal immigration enforcement, Hochul proposed legal changes. She said she wanted a law intended to allow people to sue federal officers “when they act outside the scope of their duties,” and another change meant to keep immigration agents out of schools, hospitals and houses of worship unless they have a warrant from a judge, the AP reported.

Hochul also addressed public safety in the speech. She said, “Public safety will always come first, but it must be pursued lawfully and with humanity,” and added, “When boundaries are crossed, accountability matters.”

CHILD CARE AND A TIMELINE FOR PRE-K

Hochul’s speech placed child care at the top of the agenda, the AP said. She reiterated plans to set up a child care program for 2-year-olds in New York City and to establish a universal pre-K program throughout the state by 2028.

Mamdani, seated near the stage, rose to applaud Hochul’s child care plan, the AP reported. The rest of the room followed with a standing ovation, and Hochul responded, saying, “Republicans have kids, too, you can stand.”

PUBLIC SAFETY AND RESTRICTIONS AROUND HOUSES OF WORSHIP

After addressing child care, Hochul turned to crime and transit. She promised to continue enhanced police patrols on the city’s subways and expand the use of mental health teams throughout the transit system, according to the AP.

The governor also proposed a ban on protests within 25 feet of a house of worship. In explaining the proposal, Hochul referenced a recent incident outside a synagogue in Queens where people chanted pro-Hamas remarks, the AP said. Hochul told the audience, “That’s not free expression. That’s harassment. And targeting a Jewish community in this way is antisemitism,” the AP reported.

IMMUNIZATION STANDARDS AND NEGOTIATIONS AHEAD

Hochul also said she would protect New Yorkers from changes on public health policy by ensuring state immunization standards “are set by trusted medical experts, not conspiracy theorists,” the AP reported.

The AP said Hochul’s plans would need negotiation with the state Legislature, which is controlled by Democrats. It also reported that Hochul had resisted some of Mamdani’s proposals to support social programs by raising taxes on the state’s richest residents.

PRESSURE FROM BOTH SIDES OF THE RACE

The AP reported that Hochul, a Democrat described as a centrist from Buffalo, faces challenges from both the political left and right in the election. It said Republican Bruce Blakeman, a Trump-aligned county official in New York’s suburbs, announced a run for governor and criticized Hochul after her speech.

Blakeman said in a statement after the address, “If speeches fixed problems, New York would be thriving. Instead, families are struggling and businesses are leaving,” the AP reported.

On the Democratic side, the AP said Hochul was courting support from the progressive wing of the party while facing a possible primary challenge from her lieutenant governor, Antonio Delgado. The AP reported that Delgado has assailed Hochul for months, casting her as a reactive executive unable to meet the political moment during Trump’s second term.

DELGADO SAYS IT’S TIME FOR “URGENCY” ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL

While Hochul was in Albany, Delgado ran counter programming and made stops along what he called the “State of the People Tour,” the AP reported. In a statement, Delgado said the moment demanded “urgency, honesty, and the courage to act,” and that New Yorkers can’t afford Governor Hochul’s half-measures.