To the Editor,
One can judge a person’s character by the company they keep. Did you receive an invitation to Gov. Kathy Hochul’s latest campaign fundraiser that was held in Manhattan on Feb. 10? Tickets were only $45,200, $25,000 or $10,000, which was the cheapest priced ticket. You would have enjoyed rubbed shoulders with New York state’s 1% favorite pay-to-play special interest groups and Democratic Party elite.
Hochul already has $22.9 million in cash on hand before her latest fundraiser to run for her first full term. Don’t forget all the perks of public office used to generate free publicity on a daily basis. Like most ordinary New Yorkers, I could not afford the price of admission. I was willing to park limousines, bus tables, mix drinks or check coats.
According to the state Board of Elections, as of Nov. 1, 2021, there are a total of 12,318,347 active voters. Democrats outnumber Republicans 6,173,560 to 2,709,044, with 154,674 Conservatives, 45,921 Working Families, 438,010 listed as Other Political Party and 2,797,138 having not selected any political party.
Hochul’s most likely November general election opponent, assuming she wins her own June Democratic Primary will be Suffolk County Republican Congressman Lee Zeldin. He has raised $4.2 million and has $5.6 million available. His potential primary challengers, assuming they can obtain sufficient signatures from GOP voters to force a primary, could be former Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino, who has raised $764,204 and has $1.3 million available, or son of former Mayor Rudy Guiliani, Andrew Guiliani, who has raised $85,601 with $188,409 available.
Zeldin has run with Conservative Party cross endorsement in the past and odds favor he will do so again. Hochul has an overwhelming voter-registration advantage and will outspend Zeldin by millions. As the odds on favorite, it is Hochul’s race to lose. The last time a Republican won was George Pataki in 2002.
Larry Penner
