Gov. Kathy Hochul takes aim at Rep. ‘Mike something’

Gov. Kathy Hochul took aim at Rep. Mike Lawler, a Republican who is openly exploring a run for governor, over the weekend in a rare instance of directly criticizing a potential political opponent. With strong words for U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem as well, Hochul’s remarks at the annual Albany Somos conference continued a trend towards more pointed rhetorical approaches to conservatives. 

Speaking on Saturday morning to labor leaders and union members, Hochul hedged slightly before attacking him for questioning the citizenship of Jose Alvarado, a Latino Westchester County legislator. “We have this congressman, Mike something, Mike Lawler maybe,” she said to a smattering of boos and laughs. The exchange between Lawler and Alvarado came during a longer meeting with county lawmakers, during which Alvarado questioned what someone like him should do if they’re approached by immigration agents. “I assume you're a citizen, maybe you're not,” Lawler said as part of his response.

Like other Democrats who pounced on the gaffe, Hochul said that Lawler’s response implied that it’s acceptable for immigration officials to stop someone because they have a Hispanic last name. “I'm a little concerned that, don't you learn in like, high school social studies class, you have to be a citizen to get elected in our state, in our country?” Hochul said. “You can’t make this stuff up.”

Hochul repeated the quip about her potential opponent during the scholarship gala for the Albany Somos conference on Saturday night, and this time, she didn’t hedge at all. “We have a sitting member of Congress from the Hudson Valley – yes, I’m talking about Mike Lawler,” she said. “Do you know what he said to a Westchester elected official?”

Speaking at the labor breakfast on Saturday morning, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie also went after Lawler, criticizing him for President Donald Trump’s agenda while directly referencing his statewide aspirations. “Let's just remember the six members of Congress that are Republicans, who are in the majority, that have to effectuate any of these bad things, including governor wannabe Mike Lawler,” Heastie said. “This man is going to try to fool us all.”

Hochul and Heastie’s remarks came the weekend before a new Siena poll tested the water for expected gubernatorial candidates. Although the poll did not include a direct matchup between Hochul and any Republicans, it did reveal that Lawler has a long way to go when it comes to name recognition. A whopping 68% of registered voters polled said they either didn’t know who he is, or have no opinion of him. Still, the poll found that he would win in a hypothetical GOP primary if it were held today against Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, who has even lower name recognition. Hochul, meanwhile, would trounce both Rep. Ritchie Torres and Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado in a hypothetical Democratic primary matchup.

In addition to attacking Lawler, Hochul also used her two speeches over the weekend to offer support for immigrants in New York, while criticizing the Noem and the Trump administration. Hochul recalled a recent meeting with Trump and Noem at the White House. “She said, ‘I'm coming after the illegal aliens that are in the Roosevelt Hotel,’” Hochul said. “I mean, the disdain, the dripping disdain in her voice, was so offensive to me.” Although Hochul reaffirmed her support for going after criminal migrants, she expressed anger about Noem’s desire to go after asylum-seekers who had been placed at the Roosevelt Hotel in Manhattan. “These are moms and kids looking for freedom, looking for a better life,” she said to applause. “How dare you denigrate that? How dare you?” Hochul added, “You’re not going to get the help you want from New York state, it’s not happening.”

It’s not the first time that Noem has served as the subject of Hochul’s ire. During the annual satirical Legislative Correspondents Association Show last year, the governor’s rebuttal to reporters included tongue-in-cheek criticisms of the then-South Dakota governor. “You got a tooth whitening model who shills for a Texas dentist while serving part-time as governor,” Hochul said, referencing a video that Noem had posted promoting a dentist in Texas.

Hochul’s fierce criticism of Trump’s immigration rhetoric represents a shift from her rhetoric last year.  She had initially used more measured language when speaking about Trump in the wake of the election, promising to find common ground with the Trump administration when she could, while still standing up for New Yorkers’ rights. In November, the governor said she would be “the first one to call up ICE” to deport immigrants who break the law, which led to some criticism from immigrant rights advocates. In more recent weeks, Hochul has stepped up her rhetoric, using more fiery language in responding to Trump’s actions against New York and offering stronger support for the state’s immigrant population.

In what may become a recurring part of her public addresses, Hochul again referenced the Rambo movie First Blood. She initially brought up her childhood viewings of the film at a press conference about the Trump administration’s move to pull federal approval for congestion pricing when asked about her apparent shift in tone. “You should watch the whole series, because the message is: when someone draws first blood on you, you have a right of a disproportionate attack and retaliation back,” Hochul said on Saturday. “And that's the mode I'm in right now. It's time to fight back.”