In political time, the next gubernatorial election is admittedly eons away. In New York, careers can reach their pinnacle and nadir in the time it takes to renew your lease. Absolutely anything could happen between now and June 2026. But that’s not stopping us from speculating about who could be waiting in the wings to challenge Gov. Kathy Hochul – or run in an open seat to replace her. Here are a few of the names in the mix.

DEMOCRATS

Letitia James

She tried it once, and it kind of flopped. But since state Attorney General Letitia James’ short-lived run for governor in 2021, she won a civil fraud case against Donald Trump over his sketchy real estate valuation practices and an order for the former president to pay more than $450 million. She also helped shepherd nation-leading bills to rein in social media through the state Legislature. With those big wins behind her, perhaps fundraising will be a little easier next time around.

Andrew Cuomo

You’ve got to hand it to the former governor. He hasn’t actually run for anything, but he’s managed to keep his name in the political rumor mill a full three years after he resigned from office. Right now, he’s reportedly exploring a run for New York City mayor – but only if Eric Adams is out of the picture. He recently engaged on the Israel-Hamas war, bankrolling an ad that criticizes pro-Palestinian protests. And there’s no place in New York quite as powerful as the Executive Mansion, so why settle for mayor?

Tom Suozzi

Long Island whisperer Rep. Tom Suozzi saw that Kathy Hochul was running to be the first woman elected governor in New York in 2022 and he said to himself, “You know who should also run for governor right now? Me!” It did not go well for him, and the 3rd Congressional District was represented briefly by George Santos as a result, but Suozzi’s inner voice might come calling again in 2026.

Ritchie Torres

Rep. Ritchie Torres, a rising star progressive turned anti-woke member of Congress from the Bronx, caused quite a stir when he launched a new X account in May with the handle @RitchieTorresNY. There was speculation that the account could fit a statewide campaign for the barrier-breaking representative – who has lately made a name for himself with his dogged defense of Israel. Governor? Attorney general? Time will tell!

Others

Of course, there are many potential contenders. The latest speculation surrounds Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado, who recently went out on a limb and called for President Joe Biden to step aside. Then there are past contenders, including New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, who ran against Hochul for governor in 2022 and lieutenant governor in 2018. Speaking of New York City, there are plenty of local officials who might be eyeing a jump to statewide office, such as Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, who was considering an attorney general run two years ago, and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is also fresh off a big Trump win. And if Andrew Cuomo becomes New York City mayor, wouldn’t it be poetic to see a Gov. Bill de Blasio?

REPUBLICANS

Bruce Blakeman 

You don’t just randomly ban trans girls from playing sports with girls’ teams in your county for no reason. That’s the kind of move you make if you want to ride a culture war rocket ship right to higher office. For Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, that could mean a position in a potential Trump administration, or he could be trying to break the county executive curse and become the next governor of New York.

Lee Zeldin

Former Rep. Lee Zeldin came really close in 2022 – like really close. Since then, he has been helping Republican candidates campaign around the state, and he hasn’t shied away from culture war topics either. He even managed to snag a few votes for speaker of the House, despite not being in Congress. Politico reported that Zeldin won’t be making any statewide announcements until after the 2024 election, but he’s not acting like someone who has given up on his gubernatorial dream.

Mike Lawler

Republican Rep. Mike Lawler has managed to gain popularity without hewing to political extremes. He’s made a habit of appearing on cable TV at every opportunity, and he recently passed the Antisemitism Awareness Act through the House. If Lawler survives a challenge from Democrat Mondaire Jones this year, there is plenty of buzz about his political future. In a parody video for the Legislative Correspondents Association dinner in May, Lawler said: “In all seriousness, I wish I could have been with you in person and shared some laughs, but we’ll have plenty of time for that when I’m governor in a couple of years.”

Others

Among a wider field of candidates, it could depend on the direction of the Republican Party. Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin is one of Hochul’s biggest online antagonists and a former member of the Assembly. However, he was sanctioned for sexual harassment in the Assembly, but he was acquitted in his campaign finance trial. If the party wanted to revisit a more moderate candidate, maybe Rep. Marc Molinaro or former Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino would want to give it another shot.