In the primary race for governor of New York, the candidates in each party naturally have some common alliances, but also some surprising differences.
Of the four Republican candidates, for example, one would deviate from possible support from former President Donald J. Trump. The three Democratic candidates strongly disagree on how to approach the accessibility crisis in New York.
And the preferences of the candidates for pretzels? All over the map.
As early voting is underway and only days before the June 28 primaries in New York, Democrats and Republicans are locked in sharp contests of ideology, experience and taste that will help determine the future of New York State as it unfolds. trying to get through the coronavirus pandemic.
The winners are likely to head to the most competitive general election the state has seen in two decades, in which voters will decide whether to extend the Democrats’ 16-year tenure at the governor’s mansion or adjust the course in Albany.
On the Democratic side, Gov. Katie Hochul has the upper hand against both Jumaan D. Williams, New York’s progressive public defender, and Thomas R. Swatzi, a Long Island centrist. But the three presented conflicting views of the Democratic Party on how to correct the housing crisis, fight crime and return voters who are leaving the party.
Who will emerge as the Republican nomination remains to be seen. Representative Lee Zeldin, who hails from Suffolk County, has the official approval of the Republican and Conservative parties, but faces fierce challenges from Harry Wilson, Rob Astorino and Andrew Giuliani, the son of the former mayor of New York. All four Republicans want to end the no-cash guarantee bill in New York, but they differ sharply over abortion rights, the 45th president, and where the “top of the state” actually begins.
Our political reporters interviewed each of the candidates in the last weeks of the competition to get an idea of their positions. Here are edited excerpts from the interviews.
The Democrats
Katie Hochul, 63, served as vice governor for nearly six years before taking over as governor last August when Andrew M. Cuomo resigned. It has the official approval of the Democratic Party of State.
Thomas R. Suozzi, 59, is a former executive director of Nassau County who, in his third term, represented the Long Island swing district in Congress.
Juman D. Williams, 46, has been New York’s public defender since 2019, and in 2018 he nearly defeated Ms. Hochul in the Democratic primary for vice governor.
What will you do to accelerate the transition from fossil fuels and ensure a clean, renewable energy future for New York?
Suozzi: Will provide incentives for homeowners, vehicle owners, landlords, businesses and utilities to boost renewable energy and efficiency.
Williams: Unfortunately, this past legislative session was probably the worst for the climate – just awful. As a public advocate, I supported the funding of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, including an attempt to get the state to switch from fossil fuels to renewable energy, including support for the Public Renewable Energy Act. We also need an immediate moratorium on cryptocurrency mining.
Hochul: I’m really proud that in my first month at work, I was able to make a significant commitment of $ 4.2 billion through a bond that we will have in the vote in November. We hope that voters will support this to give us the resources to build climate resilience and protect the environment. We are also talking about creating jobs for green energy.
In addition, we have just authorized two transmission lines to bring clean energy to New York, which will divert us from fossil fuels. These are equivalent to two other authorities in Niagara. This is transformative. They will work until 2027.
Kathy Hochul asks questions about the budget talks at the Capitol in Albany. Credit … Cindy Schultz for The New York Times
As governor, how would you deal with increased crime in New York City?
Suozzi: I have a 15-point intervention and crime prevention plan to adjust the bail reform and give judges the freedom to assess the danger of defendants facing them. I will turn to mental health not only for the homeless, but also for over one million people suffering from severe mental health problems. I will support community policing and the cessation of violence, and I will drastically reform our schools to include the provision of health and human services.
Williams: I’m proud to have been a leader in this space, helping New York State get from where we were in 2012 to where we were in 2018. The stops for young black men have decreased. The use of force decreased. Arrests have decreased. Complaints about the use of force have decreased. Both shootings and killings have decreased.
So on the supply side we definitely need to see if we can deliver more, which doesn’t allow these weapons to come first, but I think where we don’t always structure and fund properly, it’s on the demand side to stop people from using these weapons in the first place. That is why we have asked for $ 1 billion to be invested in this budget specifically for the prevention of violence with weapons and services for victims. And we couldn’t get it.
Hochul: We have just passed 10 flagship weapons safety bills, focusing not only on mass shootings but also on daily street shootings. We need some time to start having the desired effect. But it’s also about making sure our subways are safe so people can get back to work, and letting people know that you know there’s no tolerance for these crimes.
We can have justice and security. They can really go hand in hand. We are not going backwards in terms of criminal justice reforms, but we have also taken care to deal with the fact that it is too easy to acquire a weapon.
How would you revive the New York subway system: Increase government funding, raise tariffs, or reduce services?
Suozzi: I think this is a fake choice. The most important thing is to increase the number of passengers, which requires making the subway safer. People cannot afford to increase tariffs at the moment. Reducing services is the opposite of both our economic recovery and our climate change goals. And we already have the highest taxes in the United States. So we need to use the existing funds, including the $ 1.2 trillion federal infrastructure deal that I helped negotiate.
Tom Suozzi talks at a diner in Queens. Credit … Andrew Seng for The New York Times
Williams: I am very surprised to hear some of the Albany opposition about congestion prices. This is one way to try to slow down car use and actually increase MTA revenue. Everyone would benefit from a cleaner, more timely metro system and, frankly, a bus system as well.
Hochul: MTA is the life force. We will focus on ways to generate revenue by pricing congestion. This is back on track after a few hiccups with the federal government. We do not have planned tariff increases because we want people to return to work.
But people also need to feel safe on the subway. We work with Mayor Adams and the New York City Police, who are in charge of the subway police.
Under what conditions would you support the mandate for a mask or vaccine for students?
Suozzi: I do not support any mandates for students in the foreseeable future. The only circumstances I would consider would be if a new lethal variant emerged.
Williams: I think we need to keep looking at numbers and science leading us. We know we can’t just look at the number of Covid cases, but we need to look at deaths and hospitalizations – all of those numbers combined. We waited as a country until it was too late before and I think it cost people’s lives.
Hochul: We had a mandate. This was one of the most difficult decisions I had to make in the beginning. My job is to protect students and ensure that we do not close schools again.
Mandates for a mask? Only if we feel that they will make a difference.
Do you support eviction legislation with a good cause, which would limit rent increases and make it more difficult to evict tenants?
Suozzi: No, we already have the most protective tenant protection in America.
Williams: A good cause is actually the basis of what we have to do. Just to clarify, if you own and live in a four-family house, it does not affect you at all. If you are not the owner or have more than four families, you can still evict people, you just have to give a reason: non-payment of rent, breach of lease, destruction of property or if you just need it for your own family. All this is to prevent the aggravation of the expulsion crisis and to protect people.
Hochul: No, I do not support that. I am very concerned about small landlords. Many of them have not paid rent for a very long time.
With the expiration of 421a, a long-standing tax relief to encourage affordable housing, what more does the state need to do to tackle the housing crisis here?
Suozzi: The most important thing the state needs to do is save homes in NYCHA. Secondly, we must immediately have a new 421a, which limits the rate of return for entrepreneurs to less than 10 percent and requires that all taxed homes be made by union labor.
Williams: This is another place where there is a key difference between our campaign and the current administration, which wants to build and maintain 100,000 units over the next five years. We want to build and maintain one million units over the next 10 years. And no one pays 30 percent or more of their rental income.
421a was a precipice. If we are going to use taxpayers’ money, we must actually use it for the type of housing that society needs. Of course, you need extra money and better governance for NYCHA and public housing across the country.
Juman Williams in Buffalo, the week after the mass shooting at a supermarket there. Credit … Libby March for the New York Times
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