New York Gov. Kathy Hochul stumped with Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez at a Buffalo Bills watch party in Queens Sunday during the last weekend of her campaign, saying the divisive pols “want to be with me.”
Hochul was all smiles as she campaigned with the two progressives at Murphy’s Sports Bar in Astoria, and insisted the support of the two controversial lefty figures wouldn’t turn off moderate voters ahead of Tuesday’s gubernatorial election.
“They want to support me and I’m grateful to have such a broad base of individuals with different perspectives who are joining our coalition to make sure Democrats win big,” Hochul told reporters.
The pair of Democratic socialists kept mum as they left the bar 20 minutes ahead of the incumbent governor, with exiting patrons describing the establishment as half empty in the pols’ presence.
“This is the place we come for the games, but this… no,” customer Jose Rodriguez Jr., 39, said.
He and his girlfriend left the spot as the politicians campaigned.
“We’re just going to go find some other place where we can watch the game,” Rodriguez said.
The Democratic governor, who is expected to beat challenger Nassau County executive Bruce Blakeman Tuesday, insisted to reporters that she’s taking the final days of the election “so seriously” as she left the watering hole.
“I’m taking this so seriously because what we do here in New York will have an effect on the future of this country,” the incumbent said.
She also added her hopes to see a Democratic sweep ahead of the midterm elections in order to “start taking back our country.”
“If we make Hakeem Jeffries our speaker, all of a sudden we can just put up a firewall up there and stop the insanity and start taking back our country,” Hochul said.
Tuesday’s gubernatorial race has received national attention, even leading to the Queens-raised President Trump calling Hochul “the worst governor in the history of New York State.”
“She’s been a disaster, and I can tell you that Bruce has been a friend of mine for a long time,” Trump added at a rally on Saturday, where he implored New Yorkers to vote for the Republican challenger.
