Gov. Kathy Hochul used her fifth State of the State address to set up her 2026 re-election campaign, casting herself against the Trump administration and in sync with progressives who scored big wins last year with the election of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
The moderate governor had several assignments going into her marquee speech. She had to hold the center, avoid picking fights and mind her left flank. She used President Donald Trump — unpopular in his home state — as a repeated foil.
“The state of the State of New York is strong. And we’re just getting started,” Hochul said. “But I need to level with you — this moment carries real threats from Donald Trump and his enablers in Congress.”
The governor pointed to her spats with Trump over congestion pricing, which recently celebrated its first anniversary. She got some of her biggest applause when mentioning new proposals to restrict federal immigration agents from entering schools, hospitals and houses of worship.
White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said, “What’s actually cruel is Democrats’ unapologetic support for criminal illegal aliens who have murdered and harmed innocent American citizens.” Trump is fulfilling a campaign promise, Jackson said.
But there are signs Hochul is moving herself in sync with the electorate. Voters have soured on Trump’s actions, making it easier for Democrats to make their case.
The latest Siena Research Institute poll shows that 44% of New Yorkers say the state is on the right track, compared to 41% who believe it’s going in the wrong direction. That slight edge also exists among independent voters.
It’s sharply different from what voters said about the nation: 63% said it was going in the wrong direction, compared to 31% who said it’s on the right track.
“ There's so much instability, whether it's global politics, whether it's within our federal government … New Yorkers want to know that the governor is making sound decisions,” said Shontell Plummer, a partner in the Tusk Strategies government affairs firm. “She's just a source of refuge and stability.”
Morgan Hook, a political consultant who advised two governors, said Hochul’s second key to holding the center was … not rocking the boat. This year’s speech didn’t have any lightning rods, a break from her last three addresses.
In 2023, Hochul proposed a major housing program that would have threatened local zoning control. It went over like a lead balloon on Long Island.
In both 2024 and 2025, Hochul proposed changes to the state’s criminal justice laws. Hochul delayed the budget for weeks beyond the March 31 deadline in 2024 as she fought to expand the offenses for which criminal defendants could be held on bail.
In 2025, she pushed to narrow requirements for what evidence needs to be shared with defendants before a trial — rolling back changes to the discovery process that prosecutors complained were resulting in fewer convictions.
Assemblymember Michaelle Solages, a Democrat from Nassau County, said Hochul has been quietly discussing changes to the age at which juveniles are criminally tried as adults. It’s not something Hochul put in her speech or an accompanying written message.
“I think it’s about collaboration” this year, Solages said.
Hochul instead talked about stemming the costs of car insurance. It drew knowing murmurs from the roughly 500 people who listened to her speech at Albany’s Egg.
“That's what's great about it — it's not the sexy stuff, so it's the stuff that's really going to affect people,” said Assemblymember Stacey Pheffer Amato, who represents a swing district in south Queens.
It’s also clear that Hochul is working to mind her left flank as she faces a Democratic primary challenge from Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado, her one-time running mate and ally. He skipped the speech but said he was listening for items that were omitted — including immigration.
Delgado backs the New York for All Act, which would restrict local law enforcement agencies from cooperating with ICE. Hochul hasn’t backed the measure and didn’t in her Tuesday speech.
She did declare, “New York will not allow the use of state resources to assist in federal immigration raids on people who have not committed serious crimes.”
Some of that law’s supporters gave Hochul cover. Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, a Democrat, said her proposals restricting ICE at schools and hospitals would have a big impact.
“Sometimes we don't get everything we want in one session, but the bottom line is, I think we'll get the governor there,” he said.
A key ally here will be New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who watched the speech from the fourth row. He led a standing ovation when Hochul reiterated her plans for more child care subsidies, and had nothing but praise for the speech.
“I think the governor is doing a good job, especially in delivering on the affordability agenda,” the mayor said.
His blessing comes with a cost on the political right. Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, the likely Republican gubernatorial candidate, featured Mamdani in campaign materials for his successful re-election.
He’s due to visit Albany on Wednesday, and said on social media after Hochul’s speech that “blaming Washington does not explain what happened on her watch.”
And while she spoke for almost 50 minutes, the governor still punted on several sticky issues. The most prominent is raising income taxes on the rich, a move demanded by progressives like Mamdani and denounced by conservatives.
Hochul said she would pay for new investments “without raising taxes.” State Sen. Jabari Brisport, a democratic socialist representing parts of Brooklyn, said that would be a key litmus test for Hochul when she starts campaigning in earnest.
“Her refusal to tax the rich leads to two problems,” Brisport said. “I'm worried about a fiscal cliff for some of the programs in New York City, since she said she only wants to pay for the first two years. And, I am concerned that it won't allow us to fully avoid the cuts coming from the federal government, especially to Medicaid, if we do not tax the rich.”
