Several Long Island Democratic candidates are notably absent from mentioning Gov. Kathy Hochul on their campaign websites, despite her being at the top of the party ticket for the upcoming November elections. This apparent omission has led to speculation among political insiders that local party members may be trying to distance themselves from the governor, fearing an association could negatively impact their chances on the island.
US Representative Tom Suozzi and Assemblywoman Laura Gillen are among those who do not list Hochul as a supporter on their websites. Suozzi, who unsuccessfully challenged Hochul in the 2022 Democratic primary for governor, lists endorsements primarily from unions and activist groups, but no elected officials, including the governor. Gillen, seeking a second term, highlights endorsements from national Democratic leaders such as House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Democratic Whip Katherine Clark, but Hochul's name is absent from her campaign site.
Other candidates, including congressional hopeful Chris Gallant, also do not feature Hochul. Gallant lists endorsements from Pete Buttigieg, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, and Representative Pat Ryan. Similarly, state Assembly candidates Kim Keiserman and Craig Herskowitz, as well as local supervisor candidates Joe Scianablo and Sean McCarthy, have not featured Hochul in their endorsement sections.
One local Democratic source suggested that if candidates believed Hochul would perform well on Long Island, they would publicly align themselves with her. The source also commented that Hochul's perceived embrace of Mayor Zohran Mamdani could alienate some suburban voters, stating, "Mainstream Democrats out there don’t want nothing to do with Mamdani."
Despite these observations, Jay Jacobs, the state Democratic Party chairman and Nassau County Democratic leader, asserted that Hochul is in a strong position on Long Island. He claimed that Nassau Democrats have endorsed the governor and predicted she would defeat Republican challenger Bruce Blakeman in Nassau County. Jacobs cited internal polling data suggesting Hochul leads Blakeman in Nassau and that her policy positions are favored by voters, while Blakeman's are not.
However, historical election data presents a different picture. In the 2022 gubernatorial race, former Representative Lee Zeldin, also from Long Island, secured a significant victory in Nassau County by over 10 percentage points and in Suffolk County by 17 percentage points. Some Democratic sources acknowledge that while Hochul may be in a better position on Long Island compared to four years ago, her chances of defeating Blakeman on his home turf are still considered a stretch.