Kathy Hochul
Kathy Hochul is the Democratic governor of New York, in office since 2021. She was the Democratic nominee for reelection in 2026 against Republican Bruce Blakeman.
Nick Gillespie said about Kathy Hochul, in The Compleat Nick Gillespie on October 30, 2026.
From libertarian writer Nick Gillespie's newsletter, explaining why he plans to write in "none of the above" for New York governor in 2026. He is describing the choice between Hochul and Republican Bruce Blakeman.
Amanda Litman said about Kathy Hochul, in Amanda Litman on October 30, 2026.
From Amanda Litman's newsletter, written after she voted early in the 2026 New York general election. She lists her reasons for voting, including Hochul's reelection race.
Decision Desk HQ said about Kathy Hochul, in Decision Desk HQ on October 28, 2026.
Decision Desk HQ was reviewing its polling averages and forecasts for the 2026 governor races.
Mike Lawler said about Kathy Hochul, in Vital City on October 12, 2026.
From a Vital City interview with Rep. Mike Lawler, a New York Republican. Asked by editorial board member Ben Smith whether Hochul was right to reopen the Cornell sexual assault case and name Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor.
Kathy Hochul writes The Beat with Ari Melber , writes Katie Phang and writes Katie Couric . They have also been a guest on Bloomberg Surveillance (19 times) , Wall Street Week , Odd Lots , Squawk Pod , The Hell Gate Podcast , Hard Fork (NYT) , The Journal. , Decoder with Nilay Patel and Freakonomics Radio .
Recently: “Governor Kathy Hochul on Taxing the Rich, Cornell, and Her Relationship to the Left” on The Hell Gate Podcast (October 2026); “New York Governor Kathy Hochul thinks AI should be ‘less evil’” on Decoder with Nilay Patel (August 2026); “NY Governor Kathy Hochul on Her One Year Data Center Moratorium” on Odd Lots (July 2026); “678. Who Gets to Choose a “Good Death”?” on Freakonomics Radio (June 2026); “Kathy Hochul on Mamdani, Trump and Where Democrats Went Wrong” on The Journal. (October 2025); “Two Katies and a Live!” on Katie Phang (August 2025).
Asked on Odd Lots whether tech companies should pay higher taxes to fund retraining for workers displaced by AI, Hochul says they should be involved but rules out raising taxes as the route.
…clean ride, that would like a safe ride, that would like a modern ride, a ride that potentially could reduce congestion, which I know is a thing you care about. And historically, it's like there are costs, but then you come out on the other side better. Here's what I mean. How do we get over that?
You're absolutely right. But you're looking at the societal costs as being greater at the end. I'm looking at the
…I can't have companies be successful, but leave, they can be successful, but leave everybody else behind. That's not how we do things in New York. We lift everybody up. Should tech companies have to contribute directly to, I guess, managing the labor market disruption? So, for instance, paying higher taxes to fund reskilling programs or things like that? They should be involved. You know, I have a hostility toward raising taxes in New York. I've shown that I'm going to stand firm because I happen to embrace people that are successful in business here in New York because they're the ones who are creating the jobs. They are the ones who are already driving the tax revenues that allow us to have universal child care and invest more in housing and to deal with this energy challenge we're facing. So I want to make sure that we're smart on that front. So, you know, there's a lot of ways to look at it. And I have to make sure that, again, New York is always looked at as a leader. I'm very cognizant of the fact…
Support for the show comes from public.com. If you're actively involved in your portfolio, you probably catch yourself repeating the same actions: buying the dip, manually sweeping idle cash, putting on a hedge. On Public, you can now create AI agents that handle all these tasks on your behalf.…
Paid for by Public Investing. Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc., member FINRA and SIPC. Advisory services by Public Advisors LLC, SEC Registered Advisor. Complete disclosures available at public.com/slash disclosures.
The thing about AI for business, it may not automatically fit the way your business works. At IBM, we've seen this firsthand. But by embedding AI across HR, IT, and procurement processes, we've reduced costs by millions, slash repetitive tasks, and freed thousands of hours for strategic work. Now…
Asked on Odd Lots why Democratic Socialist candidates have been winning primaries, Hochul gives her explanation. She goes on to describe her housing and energy-rebate proposals.
…I said, this is not good politics for you. You're going to lose in Republican areas because of these tariffs and inflation and all these costs of living going up. So they're interesting conversations. I think it's always good to have the door open line of communication, but always will stand up for
…have like a main theory of why we see this finance expansion out of New York? And would you say one of your goals would be to grow New York's market share in terms of the finance industry or the share of jobs that we have in this space? Of course it is. And why do we see this expansion elsewhere?
…that's all these businesses ask for. I'm going to do a complete 180 from financial services to Democratic socialists. But, you know, we had Zorin Mamdani on this podcast before. And since then, it seems like the Democratic Socialists have racked up a number of wins. What do you think is going on here? Like, what is the appeal of that particular message? And how much of it do you yourself share? It is extreme frustration with the cost of everything going up, the knowledge that no matter how hard you work, you play by the rules, you'll never be able to have what your parents and grandparents had, which is the possibility of owning your own home. To hear the statistic a few months ago that the average age of a first-time homebuyer, if you're lucky enough to have a home at all, went from 30 to 40 in just a few years. Look how long that milestone that everybody else counted on before this generation, how long it's going to take. To me, that hurts people. And I'm a mother of young people, and I see the struggles they have, whether it's with…
I'd love to have you back sometime just to talk three hours about housing because it does feel like the issue that we could explain expansion into other cities by these big companies, et cetera. There's a million angles on housing. One specific thing, think about young people, is one specific thing…
I think it's more indicative of what's going on here in New York City. Statewide property taxes have been too high, but there's not a disparity in that treatment that you're describing. So, that is something that the city council would have to deal with specifically. But the larger question is: I…
best city in the world.
Hochul on Odd Lots, hours after announcing a one-year moratorium on large new data centers in New York. She was asked why she acted now and what the pause is meant to achieve.
…Governor Hochl, thank you so much for coming on Audlots. Delighted to join both of you. All right. So the big news came out this morning, a one-year moratorium on big new data centers in New York State. Why now? What was the catalyst for this particular decision today? Well, there's been really
…to that. My main challenge is in the state of New York, making sure we keep the lights on and making sure that people can afford to keep the lights on. And so the challenges that I have to deal with in this environment where everything we want to do for clean energy, renewable energy, or all the
…want to come in. I said this in my state of the state back in January. I launched the Public Service Commission to start this process. They'll be done within this year of the moratorium so we can have certainty for businesses. But you come, you bring your own power source or you have to pay a premium to use our grid. And those are the basic foundations of what we're doing with this moratorium. It is not a ban. It is simply saying step back, take a breath, and get it right. Businesses want that knowledge of what the rules of the road are. We've actually had some interesting tweets from the builders of these facilities who are now saying, hey, just tell us the rules. Tell us the regulations. We're okay with that. And that's exactly what we're doing. But also responds to a lot of frustration from these communities, from people who don't think that they're paying their fair share or that
they're just coming in and to start forcing themselves in. And that's really annoying to people. It's just, they've had enough. Americans have had enough. So this is the U.S.'s first statewide moratorium on data centers, which means inevitably this is going to be seen as a test case or an…
for here? What should the outcome of the moratorium actually be? Very specific goals. My public service commission will take this year to devise a plan where we figure out how to make sure that they bring their own power or that they're substantially contributing to the grid. Secondly, I want them…
Right. We know in some instances, I think I've seen headlines like in Louisiana, for example, the big meta campus, not campus, data center. It's like there's going to be, you know, payments to teachers in the area. The idea, I suppose, is, okay, any place that's open for data center business, let's…
Closing answer on Decoder, where Hochul, running for reelection in 2026, says data centers are what frighten Americans about AI. She argues Democrats can win by showing they understand voters' anxiety about jobs and the future.
We just talk about the fact that the Buffalo Bills stayed in Buffalo. I fought hard. Look,
I'm a Packers fan. What do you think the Bears should do? We got another hour on that. I
…of Americans. And I know that people are very anxious about their future, their jobs, how they're going to take care of their families in a world where AI seems to be so ever-present. And it is that data center that scares them. We can do more to shape that, make sure that people understand, you know, that's, in one sense, a necessary evil, but that evil doesn't have to be as evil as it is. Make it less evil, and people will adapt and adjust and understand this. And the companies are complicit in this sense of we can do what we want because we're so big. And Americans, when they go to vote, want people who are going to stand up and not just roll over. They have a president and Republicans in Congress, my Republican opponent, who are rolling over, trying to kids evil that no, this is good. When in fact, you have people like me and some others who are saying, let's do this smart. Let's be thoughtful about this. I'm not going to roll over. I don't roll over for anybody. That's the impact on the elections. Democrats are going to win.
Well, Governor, thank you so much for your time. Thank you for implying that I'm young. That was very nice of you. I really appreciate it. I'd like to thank the governor for taking time to speak with me, and thank you for listening. I hope you enjoyed it. Jack, let us know what you thought about…
When it comes to AI, there is what we could do
and what we should do. What will we decide? I'm Kimberly Nevilla, host of the Pondering AI Podcast from SAS. Every episode, I sit down with innovators. Researchers, and technologists to consider the questions that come after the AI breakthroughs. Questions that don't have easy answers but need to…
Hochul, on Decoder, defends New York's restrictions on how tech companies treat minors and on 3D-printed guns, saying regulation is not her first position. Host Nilay Patel had pressed her on whether the rules amount to government monitoring of what people do on their computers.
I understand the anxiety around this. I truly do.
But you see how it's all the same, right?
But there's, I'm not looking at, I'm not having complete regulation of someone's use of their computer. I mean, that's an overstatement. It just is. We have a very narrow, specific purpose and a government objective to protect young people because the companies have gone too far. If they had put these controls in place, when the data was starting to show them that this is harmful to kids and they stopped letting their own kids use this, but let everybody else be subjected to this, knowing the harms, that's when government has to step in and regulate business. We don't do it as a first position. My view is more hands-off. Innovate, do good things, sell your product. Great. This is called capitalism in America. But when you go too far, or a 3D printer that I said, those are great, until I find out they're making guns that can kill people from them or bail to thwart, convert a Glock. Maybe it's a legal Glock that you have registered to you. That's great. But you can get this little piece of plastic that's the size of a Lego and insert that, and all of a sudden it…
Sure. I'm just connecting the dot between I want to use my printer in some way and there's a connection to the government that says yes or no and how people feel about technology like Flock, where I want to drive my car too fast in the highway and an automated license plate reader is going to track…
abused, that has to stop. Sure.
The CEO of Flock, he recently said to a lot of people, including The Verge, that he was wrong to assume that the regulatory process would provide protections for civil liberties. He assumed that state and local governments would provide controls for Flock to prevent things like cops oversearching…
Hochul, asked on Decoder what New York should ask of the big AI companies and hyperscale data center builders, answers after describing her use of AI to review state regulations. The episode came after she signed a one-year moratorium on new large data centers in the state.
…me that do that. But literally, I said, what would it take for us to look at every rule in the books? And are they smart? Are they obsolete? Are they too expensive? Are they too burdensome? Let's ask those questions. I like to rethink. I'm always challenging the status quo. It's how I'm hardwired.
Sure.
…you. You had to spend a $25,000 bond to move a mobile home on a highway. Why? Get rid of that. Why does someone have to do that? A woman could not work after midnight if she was pregnant. You had to have a special permission to do that. Sending information by telegraph and telegram. I just looked at this, said, this is the name. And I used AI as a force of good to rethink state government. So I'm not opposed, but I'm saying to them, you already know what next generation data center looks like. It does not have to be this big. It does not have to use this much power. Figure it out now before there's even more hostility towards you. Your public relations are dreadful, by the way. No one understands what you're trying to do. And you come in like big bullies and you think you can run all over a little community. Maybe you did in the early years. I think they're getting a little smarter now. They're starting to give more community benefits, but figure it out.
Support for the show comes from Outshift, Cisco's incubation engine. Today's AI agents operate in silos, which can limit their true potential. When it comes to AI advancement, companies out there have been focused on building bigger and smarter models. But scaling up is just one approach. To reach…
When it comes to AI, there is what we could do and what we should do. What will we decide? I'm Kimberly Nebola, host of the Pondering AI podcast from SAS. Every episode, I sit down with innovators, researchers, and technologists to consider the questions that come after the AI breakthroughs.…
You're a politician and campaign year. I hear so much from the AI labs that what they have is a marketing problem. That if people could only understand the benefits, if they communicated them more broadly, they would win far more hearts and minds and people would be all behind this buildout. I…
Nilay Patel had just argued that the AI labs do not have a marketing problem so much as a product problem. Hochul agreed that people already see the benefits, then located the backlash somewhere else: the buildings. She went on to talk about the STEM and coding careers she spent years urging young people into, which now look like the first jobs to go.
…technologists to consider the questions that come after the AI breakthroughs. Questions that don't have easy answers, but need to be asked. If you're curious or concerned about AI, join me as we challenge assumptions and ponder the issues together. Find Pondering AI wherever you get your podcasts.
…asks, as you've been describing. How would you handle that for them? How would you say, look, these are big build outs. The potential benefits to humanity are high. And from the government side, here's what you actually need to say and promise to people in order to work on this productively.
…not that people know the benefits. You know, your kid gets a bite, you're going to take a picture and ask Claude, is this a tick bite or a mosquito bite? Do I need to worry about this? I mean, the way that medicine has even been integrated into people's lives asking questions. So it's already being employed in a positive way for the people who want to use it in a positive way, as you've said. I think that the data centers, the hyperscalers, have become the physical manifestation of people's anxiety about the future. Think about all the young people that I literally spent years myself at go into STEM careers, kids learn science and maths, you'll have a job forever. Oh, yes, study coding and computer science. The jobs are going to be there. Guess what? Those are the jobs that are going first. People are anxious about displacement. They're worried about they're not opposed to advancement in technology in the…
We haven't talked about the stadium, but we can get there.
We'll get to the stadium. We saved the bills. That's all you need to know. They're not in another state. There are the Buffalo Bills, and they weren't going to be. But right not far from there, my parents used to live in a trailer park near the steel mill. Everybody worked at the steel plant…
Can I connect to you two dots here? My point