ALBANY — Three Democrats are seeking the party’s nomination for governor in the June 28 primary — and vying for the direction of the party.
Gov. Kathy Hochul, Long Island Rep. Tom Suozzi and New York Public Advocate Jumaane Williams largely agree on general issues, from abortion to the environment to the impact of former President Donald Trump on the Republican field for governor.
But the Democrats have differed in notable ways on criminal justice, taxes, government spending and, even, former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo. Resumes also makes a difference, each argues.
As a result, the primary contest, as well as the general election in November, will help decide the future of the party, according to Gerald Benjamin, a longtime New York political observer and retired dean at SUNY New Paltz.
Gov. Kathy Hochul Former Lieutenant Governor
Resume
The Buffalo resident, 63, has served as a town board member, county clerk and congresswoman before being elected as Cuomo’s lieutenant governor in 2014. Serving at so many levels of government and traveling the state extensively since 2015 gives her a background the others in the race can’t match, she argues. She notes she’s the only one who now has steered a state budget to completion.
Guns
As a congresswoman 10 years ago, she was backed by the National Rifle Association. Since then, she says she’s evolved on gun issues and supports banning assault rifles, raising the purchase age for semi-automatic rifles, microstamping ammunition and toughening background checks. She also strengthened the “red flag” law, which provides a process to keep guns away from someone who may pose a danger to himself or others.
Criminal Justice
She signed a law amending the bail law to allow a judge to consider a defendant’s criminal history and the seriousness of the charge when making a bail determination. She says that is a more definitive and objective measure than merely allowing a judge to consider a defendant’s “dangerousness.”
Taxes/Spending
Hochul’s approach has been sort-of steady as she goes. She has emphasized recently enacted tax cuts on gasoline and property but has offered no new ones. She has touted the use of pandemic aid for renters and the unemployed. But, rejecting liberals’ calls, she won’t propose more unemployment funding for undocumented workers.
The Pitch
She wasn’t a Cuomo confidante and represents a break from the previous governor. She’s the state’s first woman governor. She says she’s a pragmatic Democrat who managed the transition and several crises, supports abortion rights and gun safety but also wants to encourage developers and hasn’t proposed new tax increases — so the right can’t tag her as a pure progressive. She’s wrapped up the lion’s share of labor support and, by far, raised the most campaign cash.
Rep. Tom Suozzi, Former Nassau County Executive
Resume
The Glen Cove resident has been a mayor and a county executive of one of the nation’s most populous counties, one with a budget bigger than that of some states. He argues this gives him far more executive experience than Hochul or anyone else, especially with overseeing taxes and spending and negotiating labor contracts. He says his work in the bipartisan “problems solvers” caucus in Congress shows he know has to work across the political aisle.
Guns
He has criticized Hochul regularly on her 2012 stances on guns, supporting NRA positions. He contends her changed views are really based on a political strategy to appeal to Democrats. He wants stronger enforcement of the “red flag” law.
Criminal Justice
Suozzi calls reducing crime his No. 1 priority. He has attacked Hochul for not changing the law to allow judges to consider a defendant’s “dangerousness” in determining bail — even though the Democratic-led State Legislature was unlikely to go along with such a change. He wants to change policing models, he says, to ensure officers become “trusted members of the community.”
Taxes/Spending
Suozzi says he’d cut income taxes 10% and enact a “circuit breaker” to limit future property tax hikes. To achieve the latter, he says he’d change many school mandates to optional guidelines to allow districts to streamline spending. He would create a new “New York State Public Bank,” which would serve “unbanked” residents and loan money to small businesses and struggling families.
The Pitch
Suozzi calls himself the “common sense” Democrat who will be tough on crime. He’s appealing to Cuomo Democrats — the more moderate branch of the party. On other issues — environment, abortion, etc. — he says he’s as progressive as Democrats come. He says Hochul's judgment is suspect because of an $850 million subsidy she provided for a new NFL stadium in Buffalo and because Brian Benjamin, Hochul’s first lieutenant governor, had to resign amid corruption charges.
Jumaane Williams Former NYC Council Member
Resume
The Brooklyn resident is the one person in the contest who calls himself a democratic-socialist and whose first elective victory was attributed in large part to the Working Families Party, which tries to push Democrats to the left. He was a community activist and supporter of the Occupy Wall Street movement. He has Tourette’s Syndrome and says that misunderstandings about his condition has made him a stronger advocate for people with special conditions, disabilities or mental health issues.
Guns
Williams supports recent changes enacted by Hochul but says the larger point is it does little to reduce common street crime and its causes. He created the National Network to Combat Gun Violence to pull together elected and community leaders to work on the causes of violence. He touts his work with the NYC council’s crisis management system to empower “credible messengers” to mediate street conflicts and connect people with mental-health services, job training and other resources.
Criminal Justice.
He opposes the idea of allowing a judge to weigh a person’s “dangerousness” in determining bail. He says before bail was eliminated for most misdemeanors in New York, many more minorities and the poor often languished in jail before trial compared with their white and rich counterparts. Saying a job is the best way to reduce prison recidivism, he supports a bill to bar employers from asking about a job applicant’s criminal history.
Taxes/Spending
Unlike his rivals, Williams says he’d hike income taxes on millionaires and billionaires. He’d spend the revenue on affordable housing, social services and job training. He’d push for “universal” (publicly funded) health care for all and raise the income threshold for who qualifies for the “Essential Plan,” the state’s health care coverage for those whose incomes are low but too high to qualify for Medicaid.
The Pitch
Williams clearly is aiming for the progressive wing of the party, which is where the party’s energy is these days, analysts have said. He tries to tie Hochul to Cuomo and say both were about protecting the status quo and not working-class New Yorkers.