A lot of big names seen at the Jim Owles gala

There was a split ticket speaking at the Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club gala at the Hard Rock Cafe in Times Square last night. Lieutenant governor candidate Ana María Archila gave a stump speech, calling on voters to make her the first out queer statewide elected official. Twenty minutes later, Gov. Kathy Hochul spoke on stage, and got a Pride Month crack in on Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. “Ask your friends why they’re moving to Florida,” she said. “Do they know who the governor is for God’s sake? Stay in New York.” Three of the city’s leading LGBTQ political clubs – Jim Owles, the Stonewall Democratic Club of New York City and the Lesbian & Gay Democratic Club of Queens – have all endorsed both Archila and Hochul. (Though Jim Owles President Allen Roskoff still gave Jumaane Williams time to speak on stage, about both Juneteenth and his campaign.) Many observers expect Archila to outrun her running mate Williams on June 28, even if they both lose. And Archila noted that  Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado isn’t making it easy by spending big on digital ads. “He ruined Instagram for me,” she quipped. “I can’t look at panda bears anymore.”

It was a popular night for politicians both current and hopeful. At least four candidates from the 10th Congressional District (Assembly Member Yuh-Line Niou, Rep. Mondaire Jones, Elizabeth Holtzman and Dan Goldman) and three 12th District candidates (Reps. Jerry Nadler and Carolyn Maloney, as well as Suraj Patel) were in attendance. U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli and state Sen. Brad Hoylman were there as well. Schumer eagerly read out loud from the T-shirt he was handed on stage: “Make abortions legal and accessible. Make Republicans insignificant and a fucking bad memory.” Hochul said the same, but skipped the expletive.