The Story:
Next year (on November 8, 2022) the voters of New York, the fourth most populous state in the United States, will elect a Governor. This will be a closely watched campaign, and it may address an old question: is upstate New York hopelessly under the political domination of the metro New York City region?
Background:
When Andrew Cuomo’s resignation took effect, yesterday, Kathy Hochul acquired the title of Governor. She is the first woman Governor of the Empire State. Hochul has already announced that she will run for re-election next year.
Any of several other Democrats may challenge her for the nomination of that party, among them Bill de Blasio, the former Mayor of New York City who ran unsuccessfully for the Presidential nomination of the party last year. This could create a classic New York upstate/downstate competition: Hochul is a native of the Buffalo area.
The Thing to Know:
A Democratic nominee’s victory is not a sure thing. After all, a Republican, George Pataki, served as Governor of New York for three consecutive four-year terms in the 1990s and the early years of this millennium. Andrew Giuliani, the son of former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, has expressed his interest in the Republican nomination. Conceivably, Hochul could defeat de Blasio for the nomination and the right to contend with a Giuliani for the election: two upstate/downstate competitions in a single year.
