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Kathy Hochul

Governor, NY · Democratic · New York

Kathy Hochul is the Governor of New York, the first woman to hold the office, running for a second full term in 2026.

Profile last updated Jul 9, 2026 · Center Field Politics

Scout's Report

A pragmatic Democrat emphasizing public safety, affordability, and economic development while navigating pressure from both the left and a Republican challenger.

Core Strength

Budget delivery and a focus on affordability and mental-health investment.

Core Weakness

Faces persistent criticism on cost of living, crime perception, and energy policy.

Recent Action

Won the June 2026 Democratic primary and advanced to the general election.

Key Metrics

Reliability
97%

Roll-call or session participation — did they show up?

Documented Controversies
0

Official ethics findings or court records only.

Funding Secured
$320M

State funds and economic-development dollars directed within New York (absolute, term-to-date).

Outside Influence
Moderate

Derived from PAC and outside-spending share of campaign funding.

Where They Stand

Stances on the issues many voters care most about. Where a candidate has not given a clear answer we mark it "Mixed / Partial" or "Unclear" rather than guess. Positions are drawn from official records and bias-labeled news sources; they are descriptive only and are never scored.

Environment—Supports42

Climate protections and regulation versus fewer climate-related regulations on industry.

Backs implementation of the state climate law and clean-energy targets, including offshore wind and building electrification.

High Confidence

Healthcare—Mixed / Partial13

Expanding healthcare coverage for all versus expanding market-based, private insurance.

Has expanded coverage and Medicaid investment but pursues broader access rather than a single-payer system.

Medium Confidence

Second Amendment—Supports4

New firearm regulations versus no new firearm regulations.

Signed concealed-carry and firearm-purchase restrictions and defends them in court.

High Confidence

Immigration—Supports32

Pathways to citizenship versus a closed-border approach.

Has supported services for asylum seekers while seeking federal aid for arrival costs.

Medium Confidence

Roe v. Wade—Supports4

Protecting access to abortion versus restricting access to abortion.

Champions reproductive-rights protections and a state equal-rights amendment.

High Confidence

National Security—Unclear3

Whether diplomacy or military strength should be the primary national-security priority.

As a state governor she has no significant public record on U.S. military action against Iran.

Low Confidence / Insufficient Data

Campaign Funding

Files with the New York State Board of Elections, not the FEC. Reported ~$5.45M for the reelection committee in the six-month Jan 2026 filing (87% first-time donors), ending with $20.2M cash on hand; declined the state public matching-funds program. Sub-category split is approximate — the BOE summary does not separate small vs. large donors. Raised $5.5M for the 2026 cycle (Jan 2026 filing (Jul 2025–Jan 2026)), filed with New York State Board of Elections.

Total raised (cycle 2026): $5,450,000 · Outside influence: Moderate

Estimated Net Worth

Most recent estimate: $5M-$15M

Year-over-year change cannot be computed until additional disclosure years are added to this profile.

Party Loyalty

Party-line alignment on major recorded votes.

Has negotiated state budgets and economic-development deals that required votes beyond her own caucus, while clashing with the Legislature on bail and housing policy.

On the 2026 Ballot

Sources

  1. New York State — Office of the Governor
  2. AP — New York policy coverage
  3. Ballotpedia — Kathy Hochul political positions
  4. New York State — signed legislation (gun safety, reproductive rights, climate)
  5. New York Post — coverage of the affordability and public-safety debate
  6. New York State Board of Elections
  7. Ballotpedia — Officeholder financial disclosure
  8. Congress.gov — H.R. 6516, Tuscarora Nation Congressional Gold Medal Act
  9. GovTrack.us — Hochul sponsorship of H.R. 6516
  10. Congress.gov — H.R. 6516 committee referral (112th Congress)
  11. Congress.gov — H.J.Res. 2, Balanced Budget Amendment (112th Congress)
  12. House.gov — Roll Call 858, Balanced Budget Amendment (112th Congress)
  13. Center on Budget and Policy Priorities — Balanced budget amendment risks
  14. Wikipedia — Kathy Hochul
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