Governor Kathy Hochul Accepts the Democratic Nomination For Governor

Remarks as Prepared for Delivery

 
Good Afternoon! Secretary Clinton, thank you for that warm introduction. 

Since my early days in local government, your strength, tenacity, and belief in the power of public service to be a force of good — has inspired me. 

You and every elected woman who came before me made historic moments like this possible.

And I thank each and every one of you, the heart and soul of our great New York State Democratic Party, for giving me the opportunity to serve as the very first female nominee for Governor. 

I accept your nomination, and I do so with a heart full of gratitude and humility, and I will never take for granted the trust you’ve placed in me and my leadership.

I also thank my family for their enduring belief in me, and their unconditional love — from my Dad, who is with us today, who first encouraged me to imagine elective office, and my Mom, Patricia, whose empathy and compassion for those with less shaped the person I am today. 

To New York’s first, First Gentleman, my husband Bill, whose love and support is the wind beneath my wings, and our children Will and Katie, and their spouses Christina and Matt, who have endured my absences with nothing but love and understanding. 

And to my five siblings, and only sister Sheila, who have that special way of keeping me humble. I love you all.

To State Party Chairman Jay Jacobs, the brothers and sisters in organized labor, advocates, grassroots and faith leaders, and the many elected officials here today who share my commitment to creating a New York filled with optimism and opportunity, thank you for sharing this moment with me. 

I have been a Democratic activist since before I could even vote — first volunteering as a high school student, working with Buffalo’s own Tim Russert to elect Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan. 

It was a time of incredible cynicism, and distrust of government in the immediate years following Watergate, and the divisive Vietnam war which pit family member against family member.

I tell you this for one reason. Because today many Americans feel the same cynicism, distrust and divide that permeated our politics when I was a young, idealistic Democrat. 

Yet, I stand before you today as the leader of the Democratic Party with the same fresh optimism and belief in the values our Party stands for as I did in those early years.  

Because out of that divided time in our history, each of these progressive movements…

Civil rights…
 
Women’s rights…
 
LGBTQ+ rights…
 
Voting rights…
 
Fair housing and environmental justice…
 
…all were propelled forward. 
 
People rose up, took to the streets, petitioned their elected leaders, and demanded reforms that changed the course of history. 

And now, my friends, this is our moment.

We, collectively, as Democrats are poised to seize the torch that has been passed to us from that turbulent time and from those movements. 

Movements, that I note, had been primarily led by New Yorkers, and have moved us closer to the more perfect union envisioned by our nation’s founders.

So yes, I am very optimistic about the future of the New York State Democratic Party.

I believe to my core that this Party can and should be a powerhouse — not to serve one individual or one Governor — but to serve all. 

So as Governor, and as the leader of the New York State Democratic Party, I’m declaring that a new day has dawned. 

One grounded in the belief that power and organization must rise from the bottom up, where we reject the old playbook that enabled only a few to succeed while others were left behind. 

Our party must be driven by the grit, perseverance, and passion to do good that defines the very best of New York Democrats. 

Let us rebuild this organization into a beacon of ideas, inclusion, and invincibility, rooted in the core belief that Democratic values are New York values.  

And while there are those who believe Democrats are vulnerable this November, I flatly reject that notion. 

When we talk to voters about our belief that all of our communities can, and should, be places of hope and endless opportunity, they will vote for Democrats. 

And when we stand together…we will be unstoppable.

How can I be so confident? It is steeled in the basic fact that New Yorkers always rise up in the face of adversity. 

Just in the last two years, look how we are rising up after some of our most difficult times ever following this pandemic. 

Many are still longing for a sense of normalcy, and reeling from the persistent sense of loss. 

Loss of loved ones, loss of livelihoods, and for too many, the loss of hope. 

I saw it in the eyes of exhausted nurses in Buffalo, Binghamton and Plattsburgh who, while called heroes, feel they are again being ignored.

I saw it in the eyes of a mother in Southeast Queens who wanted reassurance that her children would be safe in school while the pandemic preyed on her worst fears.

I saw it in the eyes of the small bakery owner in the Bronx, who worries that he will fall victim to the rise in gun crime. 

I saw it in the eyes of an upstate farmer who fears that the hardship of the pandemic challenges their very survival. 

In traveling every corner of the State, I heard their stories and embraced their challenges as my own. 

New Yorkers whose lives have been turned upside down, and they are looking to us, their leaders, for results. 

We cannot overlook the reality that the pandemic exposed racial inequities that for too long simmered under the surface. 

Black mothers in Harlem, the Bronx and Brooklyn still experience much higher maternal mortality rates than white Mothers. 

Homeownership, or even an affordable apartment, is beyond the reach of many young people and families who yearn to live in the communities they grew up in.

Access to capital to generate wealth and businesses in communities of color is still just a dream for too many. 

And women still have barriers to success, from a lack of childcare to workplaces that tolerate a culture of harassment. 

These challenges are real. 

And New Yorkers deserve for us to be open and honest about how we will solve them. 

But this much is true — New York’s future will not wait. And our problems won’t fix themselves.

Meeting this moment must be the common purpose and shared objective of every Democrat in this room.

It is a purpose that lives up to the best of our Democratic values: Embracing our great diversity, fighting for those who have the least, and expanding opportunity for all. 

Values that burn deep in our communities, passed down by New Yorkers from generation to generation. 

And these are values that will guide our path forward. Grounded in the belief of fairness, justice and equity for all.  

That is why we believe in strong gun safety laws—- so everyone from an innocent child to our young people to our police officers — are all safe from harm.  

A true system of justice to build trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve. 

Mental health resources to help our neighbors lead healthy lives in a home and not on the streets, and for those knocked down so hard by the pandemic. 

Prosperity that creates a strong middle class founded in quality education and workforce training programs that lift people out of the preordained destiny of their zip code.

We believe in environmental protection and a 100-percent clean energy future because our children’s children deserve no less. 

We believe in respect for organized labor and a commitment to a future that honors our proud union heritage, including members of my own family. 

We believe in rights and dignity for every member of our LGBTQ+ family. 

We believe in fairness for our undocumented workers and dreamers to give them peace of mind. 

And we believe in equality that empowers ambitious young women to have fulfilling careers, without fear of discrimination, sexual harassment, and retaliation…and the full reproductive freedom they deserve. 

These core principles are embedded in our DNA as New York Democrats.

But we come together today at a crossroads in New York’s history and, indeed, America’s history. 

So much of our country — and even parts of our state — have retreated deeply into partisan corners — each wearing their team colors, red or blue, sitting on opposing sides of the field, shouting at and over each other. 

Yet we cannot ignore that while we root for our teams, we share a common bond — a love of the sport. 

And despite what is happening in our national politics today — we still share a common bond in that we are all Americans. But make no mistake. 

We are competitive — and that competitive spirit must be harnessed. Not against other Democrats, but against the other side — the Republicans.

So here’s my playbook for success: Run with confidence, but with the tenacity of an underdog. 

Take nothing for granted. Fight until the very last second. 

To win, we must demonstrate that Democrats deliver. 

Over the past six months, by working together, Democrats have made New York a better place to work and raise a family. 

We are taking on the tough fights that matter. 

We are showing that we listen first, but then we act with conviction and fortitude. 

We are restoring faith in how government works, and more importantly, who it works for. 

Moving forward without leaving anyone behind, since New York cannot succeed unless we all succeed. 

But our work is far from done. The decisions we make in 2022 and beyond will have an outsized impact on our people and our State for decades to come. 

So as we begin to write a new chapter in our State party’s history, our values and priorities remain as true as they did when as a teenager I first fell in love with the promise and hope embodied in the Democratic Party. 

An unwavering belief in the potential and value of every human being. 

In our Party, it’s very simple — we actually care about people. And we believe that government has a role to play in creating opportunity, and a better life for all. 

Our task ahead is to ensure our actions meet the scope of the challenges we face.

It is an opportunity to show what Democrats united behind a common agenda can do. 

And what poses the greatest threat to the Republicans? A unified Democratic Party.  

Even on issues where we don’t always agree, when it comes to election time, we cannot allow ourselves to be divided. 

And we can never lose sight of the fact that as New York Democrats, we know where we need to go, we share the same destination, and only differ on which road we take to get there. 

We are all Democrats. 

So alongside Senator Chuck Schumer and Lieutenant Governor Brian Benjamin, Attorney General Letitia James, and State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, our Congressional delegation, Assembly and Senate majorities and Democrats up and down the ticket; we will run and win as one party.  

We will fight for every vote in every single community, in every single corner of this incredibly diverse and vastly beautiful State. We will draw clear lines of separation between us and far-right extremism. 

And we take on Trump Republicans who are working overtime to destroy what makes New York… well, New York. 

The best way for us to stand up against their cynical and destructive efforts is to empower and strengthen our party. 

So how do we fight the politics of division and fear-mongering? We organize, mobilize, and get out the vote.

That’s how we win — as one party. 

One party that will lead through unity and builds on our strengths instead of our disagreements. 

One party that will move forward with a strong, equitable recovery that lifts up the middle class and our most vulnerable. 

One party that will continue our effective, science-based approach to beating back the pandemic.

One party that will lead the way in creating safer communities and neighborhoods through a criminal justice system that lives up to its all-important word, “justice.” 

And one party that will forever end the divisiveness, the dog whistles, and the system that for too long left Black, Brown, Asian and Native American communities behind. 

By accepting your nomination, I will lead this Party just as I have governed this State — collaboratively, honestly, and in lockstep with our values. 

As we leave here, I think of Teddy Roosevelt’s words that I spoke on my first day in office — the story of the Man in the Arena — who is marred by dust, sweat and blood — in stark contrast to the timid souls on the sidelines.  

I said for the first time in our history, a woman has entered that arena as Governor. 

As I look out, I see so much more. I see Democrats of every race, creed, ethnicity, gender who are with me in that Arena, ready to fight for the very soul of our Party and our State. 

I see Democrats who are enlightened…emboldened…and empowered to spread the message that New York is back and our Party has never been stronger. 

I see Democrats who know that destiny awaits for no one. For this is our time. 

And New Yorkers will regain that sense of pride, invincibility, unity, and yes, our swagger.

As we enter that arena together, I say we rise up — for our brothers and sisters in labor. 

Rise up for women, rise up for working families. 

Rise up for the LGBTQ+ communities. 

Rise up for all of the Black, Brown, Asian, and Native American communities. 

Rise up for New Yorkers from Buffalo to Brooklyn. 

Rise up for Upstate, Downstate. 

Rise up for one state. 

Yes, my friends. This is a new day for New York. 

Thank you and may God Bless all of you, and God Bless America.