It was a whole hell of a lot closer than she wanted, but Kathy Hochul will remain governor of New York — having narrowly won voters’ mandate in her own spotlight, out of the long shadow of Andrew Cuomo. Best of luck to her. The challenges the state faces are significant indeed, requiring Hochul to show more independence and more mettle than she exhibited in the last year-plus at the helm, during which she largely went with the Democratic Party flow, presumably to ensure she’d win election.
On the state budget, Hochul must hold the line as billions in federal aid evaporates, Wall Street profits fall to earth and the work-from-home revolution settles in. That requires setting more cash aside for a potential downturn and ensuring that progressives in the Legislature don’t commit the state to huge, unsustainable new spending commitments.
She’ll have to ensure $4.2 billion in borrowed Environmental Bond Act money is spent smartly. And she should rethink the state’s financially shaky, overblown plans to renovate Penn Station and rezone the surrounding area, which bigfoot the city.
