Hochul celebrated on election night with Queens DA Melinda Katz

Longtime Gov. Kathy Hochul aide and current campaign adviser Jeff Lewis praised the "Hochul bump" in Tuesday night's primary elections across the state – all six candidates she endorsed this time around won their elections. Of course, all but one were popular incumbents.

One of those incumbents got a visit from Hochul Tuesday night at her victory party at Queens Bully. After declaring victory against George Grasso, a challenger from the right, and defense attorney Devian Daniels, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz counted the governor among those celebrating the win. "Tonight… is about someone whose friendship I've cherished since I was lieutenant governor for many, many years," Hochul told the cheering crowd. "Someone who embraced me, made sure that I understood why she loves this fascinating borough so deeply." 

Katz's was the only party Hochul attended Tuesday night, despite endorsing others like Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano and Zeneta Everhart, a state Sen. Tim Kennedy staffer whose son was injured in the Tops Supermarket mass shooting in Buffalo. Everhart won her primary for Buffalo Common Council, which will make her the first woman on the body if she wins as expected in November.

According to Lewis, Hochul was in New York City anyway on Election Day, which is why she attended Katz's party as opposed to any other candidate. The governor, who generally splits her time between the city, Albany and Buffalo, made a congestion pricing announcement earlier in the day in Manhattan. 

But at the election night party, Hochul said Katz helped boost her name recognition by bringing the then LG along to events in Queens – something Hochul hasn’t forgotten. “I don’t forget what people have done for me on my journey to be in this position that I never could have thought,” Hochul said. She then dubbed Katz “Ms. Landslide Katz” in honor of her wide margin of victory, apparently forgetting that mere dozens of votes separated Katz from now Council Member Tiffany Cabán in the 2019 open primary for district attorney.