Fresh off her re-election victory, Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is not ruling out a spot on the 2028 Democratic presidential ticket as the party begins looking toward the next White House race.
When asked by The New York Times what her response would be if a 2028 Democratic presidential hopeful was seeking a running mate, Hochul indicated she would be open to the idea.
“I will say this,” Hochul said. “I didn’t get to where I am by slamming doors.”
Hochul’s comments come as Democrats begin looking toward the 2028 presidential election, with several high-profile figures floated as potential contenders, including former Vice President Kamala Harris, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro.
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The Democratic governor, however, also emphasized that her current priority is “fighting” on behalf of New Yorkers as governor.
“So, as someone who has the support of the people of my state — and they know I’m fighting for them for the next four years, I’m going to keep doing that,” Hochul told the NYT.
“Look at our initiatives on universal childcare,” she added. “People saw the broad appeal of that. I want to become a national voice on that issue as well, and how other states can do it.”
Hochul’s office did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
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“Clearly she [Hochul] hasn’t been in the discourse with more nationally prominent Democrats around the country, but I wouldn’t take that as a disadvantage,” Isaac Goldberg, a New York-based Democratic strategist, told the NYT.
Hochul’s comments come after she defeated Republican candidate Bruce Blakeman in New York’s gubernatorial race on Tuesday, securing 59.7% of the vote to Blakeman’s 40.1%, according to estimates from the AP.
Hochul said in a Wednesday X post in response to her election victory that she “will always believe in New York” because she knows “our best days are ahead.”
Hochul suggested at Politico’s New York Agenda: Albany Summit in March that Democrats have a “deep bench” of “highly qualified” governors who could make presidential bids in 2028.
“We are so damn lucky,” Hochul said at the summit. “We have the deepest bench I’ve seen in years of highly qualified individuals that have been battle tested. Maybe I have a bias toward governors, but they’re all my friends.”
Hochul has long been an outspoken critic of President Donald Trump, including during his second term. She also accused Trump’s Department of Homeland Security of “withholding” millions of dollars in counterterrorism funds for New York state in September.
The Empire State governor notably told Politico in an October interview that she felt “excited” about the prospect of a Democrat-led Congress attempting to stall Trump’s agenda via probes and hearings.