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Comment by woodruffw | Hacker News Reader

Maybe it's wishful thinking, but I think it will: NY's Democratic governors have historically received a "default" vote from the city's voters (especially when the governor themselves is from the city), and this will challenge that default.

Hochul also hasn't helped herself by spending a bunch of state money (i.e. city money, since the city contributes disproportionately to the state budget) on her own local, i.e. Buffalo, pork-barrel topics[1].

[1]: https://hellgatenyc.com/the-buffalo-bills-just-need-another-...

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The problem is that NY's governors are chosen in an off-cycle closed primary in which almost nobody votes. By the time November comes around the choice is between whatever apparatchik survived the Democratic primary and the mouth-breathing psycho that emerged from the Republican one.

It’ll depend a lot on how loony the alternative is; a Pataki or a Palladino?

I think it shouldn't though. I feel at this point it's rational for liberal NYC voters to vote Republican, regardless of the candidate. The dynamic here is that state-level Democrats consider NYC totally safe, and because of this they consistently prioritize the swing suburbs over the city. The way to break this dynamic is to make the city less reliable for Democrat politicians.

I don't think city voters will swing for a Republican in the gubernatorial race, unless the Republicans field a Bloomberg Independent-type (which they can't, because their own base has rejected that kind of politician).

What's more likely, IMO is that overall city turnout will be severely depressed in 2026, and Hochul may find herself counting on an uncomfortably slim, demographically homogeneous, and purple suburban voter base. That's what she's used to as a Buffalo politico, and I don't think she's fully come to terms with the reality that that doesn't "play" at the statewide level.

There are much worse possible outcomes for NYC than neglect from Albany.

I live in NYC, vote reliably for the Democrats, and will certainly consider voting for the Republican if Hochul succeeds in killing congestion pricing.

Ah yes, good strategy, vote for the people who would never even entertain such a policy idea if not just move in the exact opposite direction. There's a reason we have primaries.

Well, I left out the part where I voted for progressive candidates in the primaries.

Hochul is the first governor from upstate in 100 years. She was only chosen (for the Lieutenant Governor position) to get votes from upstate.

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