Rebecca C. Lewis
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State politics at @CityandStateNY. She/her. Mom to Ivy the Capitol Dog. Pitches and dog pics to rlewis@cityandstateny.com.
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Articles by Rebecca C. Lewis
New poll shows race for governor tightening
A new Siena University poll shows the race for governor narrowing three months from Election Day, even as Gov. Kathy Hochul maintains a double-digit, 10-point lead over Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, her Republican challenger. The poll has Hochul leading Blakeman 49%-39% among likely voters. It’s the first survey of the cycle to poll that population.
State Democratic Party files formal complaint over Blakeman’s AI use
August 10, 2026 05:00 AM ET The state Democratic Party is asking the state Board of Elections to take action against Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman’s use of generative artificial intelligence in his campaign materials. In a new letter to BOE officials shared exclusively with City & State, state Democratic Party Chair Jay Jacobs alleged the Blakeman campaign is violating election law through his use of AI.
Komatireddy’s law-and-order AG campaign
New York hasn’t elected a Republican as attorney general in over 30 years – but Saritha Komatireddy is looking to change that this year as she takes on the two-term Attorney General Letitia James. Until late last year, Komatireddy had served over a decade as a federal prosecutor in the Eastern District of New York, a record she’s running heavily on as she pitches a strong law-and-order message to voters.
‘Fuck this, we’re getting better’: Liz Krueger is on the mend
State Sen. Liz Krueger has been a staple in Albany for a quarter century, helping guide her chamber through the state budget process for the last several years as chair of the Finance Committee. So her absence following a stroke in April was felt strongly by both her colleagues and other state capital politicos. Krueger’s recovery kept her away from Albany for the prolonged budget negotiations and the end of the legislative session in June, and she’s kept a light public schedule as well.
Blakeman sets stage for election denialism
July 29, 2026 05:00 PM ET Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman is taking another page out of President Donald Trump’s playbook and refusing to say whether he will accept the results of the November election without a caveat. That comes shortly after he said Democrats will “steal” the election in order to win. Speaking to reporters in Penn Station on Wednesday, Blakeman said Democrats have “consistently tried to cheat” over the course of the gubernatorial race so far.
More New York Dems are calling for ICE to be abolished
July 29, 2026 12:00 PM ET Support across New York for abolishing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is growing as more than 30 additional Democratic elected officials have signed on to an open letter demanding just that. The letter addressed to U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries originally had 107 signers when it was first released on July 20. Wednesday additions bring the letter to 143 total signatories from Long Island to Buffalo.
An early look at the state legislative races on our radar this November
July 27, 2026 02:25 PM ET With 100 days until Election Day, all eyes are on crucial congressional races as control of the House hangs in the balance. But they’re hardly the only contests that will be on the ballot. Democrats are hoping to strengthen their numbers in the state Legislature this year, especially in the state Senate. They briefly held a veto-proof supermajority, but lost it in 2024.
Should the state Legislature meet year-round? Maybe. Will it? Don’t hold your breath.
July 27, 2026 05:00 AM ET After several marathon days at the end of the state legislative session, the leaders of both chambers took to their floors to give end-of-year speeches. After coming up against the clock in Albany to debate and pass hundreds of bills, state Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie sent their members home until the start of the new legislative session in 2027.
Is New York adequately serving immigrants? It’s hard to say.
The state comptroller’s office is out with a new audit of the Office for New Americans as the demand for legal services funding and support for immigrants has hit a fever pitch over the last several years. Its findings boil down to “we don’t know what we don’t know.” The Office for New Americans, part of the state Department of State, primarily connects recent immigrants and other foreign-born New Yorkers with free resources, including legal services.
Blakeman reports extra $1.6 million raised in amended campaign filing
A week after his July campaign finance report showed him millions of dollars short of what he’d initially claimed to raise, Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman has finally filed a promised amended report that makes up the difference. Blakeman’s campaign told the New York Post on July 13 that he’d raised $11 million since launching in December to unseat Gov. Kathy Hochul.
David Siffert talks nonbinary identity and bill drafting
Attorney David Siffert is set to make history next year as the first out nonbinary member of the state Legislature. But their race, and plans for Albany, go beyond just their trailblazing identity. Siffert won their race after a recount last week to replace retiring Assembly Member Deborah Glick in a downtown Manhattan district including Greenwich Village and Tribeca. It was one of the last races in the state to get called thanks to a razor-thin margin of victory.
Blakeman fundraising numbers much lower than he initially touted
July 15, 2026 10:34 PM ET Earlier this week, a top campaign official for Republican Bruce Blakeman’s gubernatorial campaign told the New York Post the Nassau County executive had raised nearly $11 million in his bid to unseat Gov. Kathy Hochul, enough to compete with the incumbent’s deep coffers. But a new campaign finance filing shows Blakeman hasn’t raised anywhere near that amount.
State lawmakers eye LGBTQ+ caucus in Albany
July 13, 2026 01:56 PM ET The state Legislature is poised to have the most out-LGBTQ+ members in its history at the start of the next year. Now, both current and likely incoming lawmakers are saying it’s time the body formed an LGBTQ+ caucus to formally advocate for issues important to the community. After last month’s Democratic primary elections, the state Senate is set to have at least three out-LGBTQ+ members: state Sens. Jabari Brisport and Erik Bottcher, and likely incoming state Sen.
How Jordan Wright held off the DSA
As a socialist wave overtook New York in last month’s primaries, with candidates endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America winning across New York City and beyond, one incumbent remained standing. In Harlem’s Assembly District 70, Jordan Wright held off an insurgent challenge from Conrad Blackburn, even as several of other sitting lawmakers got bested by a member of the DSA-endorsed slate. And he also prevailed in a portion of the congressional district that Rep.
Criminal justice reform advocates push against judges’ recertification
Dozens of state Supreme Court justices over the mandatory retirement age of 70 have applied for certification to remain on the bench for at least another two years. Criminal justice reform advocates wrote a letter opposing four of them this year – but what happens next is a big question mark. Under the state constitution, all state judges must retire at the end of the year they turn 70.
Congressional Democrats blast Trump, Blakeman over newly enacted Essential Plan cuts
July 1, 2026 03:33 PM ET Changes to the Essential Plan in New York under last year’s HR1 officially took effect on Wednesday, meaning that some 450,000 New Yorkers have now lost access to the low- to no-cost federally subsidized health insurance they were on.
TWU to Big Labor: don’t endorse Hochul
July 1, 2026 06:00 AM ET The Transport Workers United union dislikes Gov. Kathy Hochul so much, it’s not only refraining from endorsing her – its international president, John Samuelsen, is now urging the umbrella labor organization it's part of, the New York State AFL-CIO, not to support her as well. In a letter obtained by City & State, Samuelsen implored AFL-CIO President Mario Cilento to not endorse Hochul’s reelection.
DiNapoli’s first primary challenge put statewide public financing to the test
Neither of two Democratic challengers to state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli ultimately managed to defeat the longtime incumbent last week. But both Drew Warshaw and Raj Goyle benefited from matching funds, becoming the first candidates ever to test out the new public campaign finance system in a statewide race as they offered DiNapoli his first primary fight since taking office in 2007. That’s no coincidence.
With growing numbers in Albany, DSA is the new kid on the bloc
In the wake of the New York City chapter of Democratic Socialists of America’s congressional primary sweep last week, online prognosticators began to question: Is this the Democratic Party’s Tea Party moment? At the national level, the comparison to the movement of conservative Republicans that held sway for a period of time in the House of Representatives may make a degree of sense.
Hochul leads Blakeman by 20 points in latest Siena poll
The primaries are over, so it’s time to shift gears into general election mode. And a new Siena University poll has Gov. Kathy Hochul leading Republican challenger Bruce Blakeman with over 50% of the vote for the first time since the start of the year. The poll conducted between June 17 and June 23 had Hochul up 52%-32% against Blakeman among registered voters surveyed. That’s up from 49%-33% a Siena poll in April pegged the contest at.
Hochul has her strategy, and she’s sticking to it after primary day
There may have been a wave of democratic socialist and progressive primary victories in New York City and other parts of the state Tuesday, but Gov. Kathy Hochul isn’t preparing to join the Democratic Socialists of America any time soon, especially not as she prepares for her own general election.
Darializa Avila Chevalier upsets Rep. Adriano Espaillat
A certain local political publication boldly suggested she might be “,” and sure enough, super-left insurgent candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier has managed to take down a five-term member of Congress. The defeat of Rep. Adriano Espaillat is a marquee victory for New York City’s leftwing movement this cycle, further empowering the New York City Democratic Socialists of America, the Justice Democrats and Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
DiNapoli easily wins his first primary challenge in nearly two decades
In a largely expected outcome, state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli fended off two opponents challenging him from the left in his first primary since taking office in a landslide victory. But his opponents Drew Warshaw and Raj Goyle still managed to eat into DiNapoli’s margin of victory fairly significantly. With over about 65% of precincts reporting statewide, DiNapoli led with just under 60% of the vote, per the state Board of Elections unofficial results.
Assembly incumbents get some financial support from leadership ahead of Democratic primaries
June 22, 2026 01:56 PM ET Incumbent Democrats in the Assembly are facing an onslaught of primary challenges from progressives – but Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie is offering official monetary support to only a select few heading into primary day. The Democratic Assembly Campaign Committee generally focuses on protecting members in the general election rather than the primaries.
Pro-Palestinian legislation earns support from upstate Dems running in GOP-held seats
June 22, 2026 05:00 AM ET With opposition to Israel becoming increasingly mainstream among progressives, a fair number of Democrats running in state legislative primaries have expressed support for the controversial “Not On Our Dime” Act. And it’s not just the usual suspects of those endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America. The overall numbers of course include the DSA’s wide slate of endorsed candidates and those already in the Legislature who have co-sponsored the measure.
The prosecutor and the protester
Congressional candidates’ pre-primary filings were due last week. Here are some highlights from the last period (April 1 through June 3) for NY-7 and NY-10. Look out for a deep dive into other key House races on Thursday. Claire Valdez raised $564,000 in the last period, for a total of $1.3 million raised this cycle. Her current cash on hand is $418,000.
A cheat sheet to super PACs in the 2026 New York primaries
Follow the money: It’s fully funded by Meta, the tech company behind Facebook, Instagram and more. What’s up with that? It’s not totally clear. But Hezekiah is a longtime staffer of Rep. Greg Meeks, and spending to help his favored candidate could be a way to win the favor of the powerful Congress member.
Adriano Espaillat, Jordan Wright, join with Black leaders in show of unity to fend off DSA
June 14, 2026 08:40 PM ET A common enemy is a powerful thing. Two uptown incumbents, formerly of rival factions, cross endorsed each other on Saturday in a bid to prevent the Democratic Socialists of America from swiping either of their seats. Members of New York City’s and Upper Manhattan’s Black political leadership came out to affirm their support of Rep. Adriano Espaillat as he attempts to fend off a challenge from Democratic Socialists of America-backed Darializa Avila Chevalier.
It was a pretty good year for regulating AI in New York
By Rebecca C. Lewis, State Bureau Chief State lawmakers didn’t slow down on their attempts to create artificial intelligence safeguards this year as they approved a series of new measures to reign in misuse in the fast-growing and frequently evolving industry. Although none were quite as high-profile as the RAISE Act approved last year, legislators passed a fairly wide range of AI-related bills at the end of the legislative session earlier this month.
Enacted state budget roughly $9 billion more than initially announced
June 11, 2026 05:51 PM ET The state released the enacted budget financial plan that placed the total price tag at over $277 billion – about $9 billion higher than the $268 billion total Gov. Kathy Hochul announced in mid-May.
It was a pretty good year for regulating AI in New York
State lawmakers didn’t slow down on their attempts to create artificial intelligence safeguards this year as they approved a series of new measures to reign in misuse in the fast-growing and frequently evolving industry. Although none were quite as high-profile as the RAISE Act approved last year, legislators passed a fairly wide range of bills at the end of the legislative session earlier this month.
Hochul, Homan and Trump in three-person standoff over immigration
June 10, 2026 02:02 PM ET Gov. Kathy Hochul appears to have put President Donald Trump in a tricky spot as his border czar Tom Homan promises increased immigration enforcement in New York – even though the president himself has previously assured the governor he would take no action unless she asked.
Does a late state budget really mean a less productive legislative session?
June 9, 2026 02:12 PM ET With the exception of 2020, when the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic interfered with legislating, the 2026 state legislative session was Democrats’ least productive since they gained control of both chambers in 2019. Though lawmakers cast blame for that on the tardy budget – the most delayed since Hochul took office – the timing of the budget hasn’t had a clear correlation on how many bills lawmakers managed to approve, according to an analysis by City & State.
Trans New Yorkers largely left wanting after the state budget
Amid federal attacks on transgender people and their access to gender-related healthcare, LGBTQ+ advocates were left shocked that the state budget did not include a new trans healthcare fund. And Gov. Hochul left folks scratching their heads after announcing a $500,000 fiscal bump to an existing fund on Friday with no additional information that isn't reflected on the enacted spending plan.
Hochul to select man she granted clemency to help oversee state prisons
June 3, 2026 01:44 PM ET Gov. Kathy Hochul is set to nominate Alexander Dockery, a formerly incarcerated person whom she previously granted clemency, to a three-person state board tasked with overseeing conditions at correctional facilities in the state, according to sources.
State leaders stand ready for a redistricting rumble
Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie struck up a defiant tone when questioned about an aggressive new constitutional amendment that would enable state lawmakers to engage in mid-decade and partisan redistricting. He wasn’t alone.
The bills to watch in the last week of session in Albany
The budget is done, long live the normal legislative session. Or perhaps “short live” is more apt, considering that state lawmakers have just one post-budget legislative week to pass any number of members’ legislative priorities, in addition to typical end-of-session business like confirming gubernatorial nominations in the state Senate.
The bills to watch in the last week of session in Albany
The bills to watch in the last week of session in Albany The budget is done, long live the normal legislative session. Or perhaps “short live” is more apt, considering that state lawmakers have …
“Significant progress” made with Tier 6 reforms in state budget
State, local and other public sector workers walked away from this year’s state budget with some significant wins after Gov. Kathy Hochul and lawmakers agreed to a number of changes to the controversial Tier 6 public pension plan. Tier 6 offered public sector union workers hired on or after April 1, 2012, far worse benefits compared to older, more generous pension tiers.
For Kathy Hochul, a late budget isn’t a problem – it’s a successful tactic
At the start of the year, when Gov. Kathy Hochul presented her State of the State and executive budget, many in Albany believed that 2026 could have been a return to timely budgets after four years of progressively later spending plans. Based on what the governor presented, nothing stood out to lawmakers or other political observers as something that could cause weekslong delays like the past several years.
Hochul got most of the climate rollbacks she wanted in this year’s budget
Gov. Kathy Hochul seems to have gotten just about everything she wanted when it comes to rolling back part of the state’s landmark climate law. It’s further evidence that her budget tactic of delaying and inserting controversial policy matters late is a winning strategy for her.
Here’s what’s in the FY 27 New York state budget
The confusing, frustrating budget cycle is approaching an end nearly two months after the April 1 deadline, more than two weeks after Hochul declared a budget victory, and nearly five pay periods since state lawmakers have received a paycheck. The final spending plan is expected to be $268.5 billion, according to the state Division of Budget. Though many aspects of the budget had previously leaked in bits and pieces, there were still changes even after matters were reportedly settled.
Pat Ryan’s Patriot PAC endorses nearly 100 candidates across NY
May 22, 2026 04:00 AM ET Rep. Pat Ryan is endorsing a slate of local candidates statewide through his Patriot PAC – but don’t read into his decision to get involved too much, according to Ryan. Despite his name being on many lips for statewide office, he’s hoping to help steer a new generation of “serivice-minded” Democrats for the love of the democracy game. This slate includes a total of 85 candidates running for everything from town council to state Senate across 26 counties.
As expected, budget immigration protections fall short of full New York for All proposal
Lawmakers are set to approve a series of new immigrant protections agreed to as part of the state budget that stops short of enacting the full New York for All Act that immigrant rights advocates have pushed for. Legislators say they will use the last two weeks of the scheduled legislative session to push for additional protections that get closer to the full bill that they say Gov. Kathy Hochul has resisted.
Budget voting starts, but the state’s not at the finish line yet
Gov. Kathy Hochul announced a “general agreement” on the state budget on May 7, the latest she has ever done so. Now, two weeks later, the state Legislature has finally printed one of the remaining nine budget bills, setting lawmakers up to at least begin actually voting. But the process is still slow-going as legislators grapple with what is already the tardiest spending plan in nearly two decades.
Hochul said what??? Blakeman AI video may have violated election law
May 19, 2026 05:30 PM ET Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, the Republican nominee for governor, posted an artificial intelligence-generated campaign video that may run afoul of a 2024 law aimed at curbing deceptive political communication. His campaign denied the video violated election law, but added a disclaimer about AI after City & State inquired anyway. On Friday, Blakeman posted a video meant to criticize Gov.
Actually, the LIRR strike may not be that bad for Hochul politically
May 18, 2026 02:47 PM ET An election-year public union strike is probably many governors’ worst nightmare. Faced with the first Long Island Rail Road strike in three decades, shutting down the nation’s largest commuter rail system, Gov. Kathy Hochul is surely no different in that regard. And she and Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, her likely Republican opponent as she seeks reelection in November, are both playing the political blame game.
This crisis PR flack reps Harvey Weinstein. Now his firm is helping Bruce Blakeman run for governor.
May 15, 2026 05:00 AM ET Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman recently brought on the PR firm founded and run by Juda Engelmayer. You may never have heard of him – but you’ve definitely heard of some of his most infamous clients. Engelmayer has represented Harvey Weinstein in the court of public opinion since 2018.
Can the state keep 450K Essential Plan enrollees insured after July? It’s not looking great.
Nearly half a million New Yorkers are set to lose health insurance under the state’s heavily subsidized Essential Plan. While state leaders agree that’s a huge problem that the state will need to address, the likelihood they’ll include specific measures to help people weather the storm in the late state budget seem increasingly slim.
With CLCPA rollbacks imminent, lawmakers continue push for packaging bill
May 13, 2026 02:27 PM ET With the number of post-budget days to get any number of big-ticket items done before the end of the scheduled session waning, legislators and environmental advocates are once again pushing to pass the stalled packaging reduction bill. After the governor’s successful push to roll back New York’s climate law as part of the budget, legislators are especially keen to get marquee environmental bills like this one passed.
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