Candidates for governor begin charting course for June and November

It’s a brand new year, and the candidates for governor are coming out swinging.

Days before the official start of the 2026 legislative session in Albany, Gov. Kathy Hochul rolled out the first proposal of her upcoming State of the State address with an issue that has consistently earned her high marks: children’s online safety. Springboarding off early anecdotal successes of her new cellphone ban in schools, Hochul pitched new legislation that would automatically set the highest privacy setting for kids under 13 on many platforms, to prevent unknown adults from messaging children or viewing their profiles. The governor also proposed a measure to disable AI chatbot features on platforms like Roblox aimed at kids. “Even taking on the cellphone ban, we had to take on Big Tech because they're looking at this as like, ‘We're not getting as many customers and consumers and information that we can extract from these students and to sell to other companies,’” Hochul said at a press conference in Albany. “This is what they're doing – they're monetizing your mental health.”

Starting with championing the SAFE for Kids Act to enact more protections for minors on the internet, Hochul has found success in tackling childhood mental health concerns and attempting to wrangle Big Tech and social media companies when it comes to kids. The cellphone ban polled very well with voters even before it became a reality – popular across the political spectrum as parents of all ideologies share similar worries – and served to ingratiate herself with the powerful statewide and New York City teachers unions. “Within weeks, principals, parents, teachers, reported something quite extraordinary,” Hochul said of the ban’s enactment last year. “Our kids are talking to each other. They're listening to the teachers, they're more engaged.” The governor has also become something of a regular at “fireside chats” to discuss regulating big tech and protecting New York kids.

It’s a winning strategy during an election year, especially one where federal budget cuts mean the typical big-dollar budget items that may appeal to voters will be much harder to justify. Combined with her ongoing focus on affordability, Hochul is charting a path to her reelection. She needs to do more than just win in November; she needs to overperform, after her poor ticket-leading performance in 2022 contributed to down-ballot losses that played a significant role in Republicans gaining control of the House of Representatives. 

On New Year’s Day, Hochul quietly unveiled her first new affordability agenda item as well, taking a page out of President Donald Trump’s book to propose eliminating taxes on tipped income up to $25,000 – a proposal that earned Trump a great deal of support from working-class voters during the 2024 presidential election. “I’m kicking the new year off with a proposal of no state income tax on tips, continuing my efforts to make New York more affordable for hard working New Yorkers,” Hochul said in a statement. 

Of course, Republican gubernatorial candidate and Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman had thoughts about the Democratic governor’s adoption of one of Trump’s signature issues. Blakeman has advocated for New York to adjust the tax policy to align with the deduction enacted at the federal level, which Hochul did not act on immediately. “I see Kathy Hochul is doing a U-‘Turn’ on taxing tips,” Blakeman said in a statement, suggesting his position to never tax tips played a role in Hochul’s decision. “Whether it’s congestion pricing or taxing tips, Hochul only changes course when the political heat is on.”

Blakeman also announced on Monday that the state Conservative Party had thrown its support behind his bid for governor, after previously backing Rep. Elise Stefanik. Even after Stefanik suspended her campaign, Conservative Party Chair Jerry Kassar didn’t immediately jump onto the Blakeman boat, due to concerns about Blakeman’s ability to unify the right given his relatively moderate stances on abortion and gun control. The new endorsement gives Blakeman a much needed boost in the new year as he looks to build up his base of support. 

On the other side of the political aisle, Hochul’s primary challenger Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado also started the first full week of the new year with flashy news. He gained his first supporter from the state Legislature with the endorsement of democratic socialist state Sen. Jabari Brisport. Although Brisport is the only state lawmakers to endorse Delgado so far, his decision could signal that other socialists in office with no great love for the governor may follow his lead. “He is a proven fighter and progressive who wants to tax the rich, pass the New York Health Act and bring universal childcare to the whole state of New York,” Brisport said in a video posted to X. “How’s that for an affordability agenda?”

Delgado also criticized Hochul’s decision to veto a bill supported by transit unions that would have required at least two conductors per train on the subway. The politically powerful TWU supported Hochul in 2022 but has clashed with her on numerous occasions since then, so its continued support of the governor is not a given, and Delgado could be fishing for an endorsement. TWU International President was recently seen chatting with Blakeman at a special movie screening of Marty Supreme that Hochul also attended.