Governor of New York

Kathy Hochul is the 57th governor of New York and the first woman to hold the office; she was sworn in in 2021³. She previously served on her local town board, as Erie County Clerk, as a member of Congress for New York's 26th District, and as lieutenant governor³. She appears on the Democratic and Working Families lines with running mate Adrienne E. Adams, a former Speaker of the New York City Council¹²²¹.

Where they stand 14 issues · tap any issue for the evidence

• Childcare and pre-KGuarantee low-cost childcare for all families plus universal pre-Khigh

  Official action · high confidence

  • Hochul announced investments toward affordable, universal child care for children under five, free child care for two-year-olds in New York City, and pre-K access for every four-year-old in the state by the 2028-29 school year. (2026-01-08) source
  • Her campaign lists making universal child care a reality and delivering statewide universal pre-K among her accomplishments. (2026) source
• Minimum wageRaise it higher and tie it to the cost of livingmedium

  Official action · medium confidence

  • Hochul announced a budget agreement raising the state minimum wage to $16 in New York City, Long Island and Westchester and $15 elsewhere in 2024, with further increases in 2025 and 2026 and yearly increases tied to inflation starting in 2027. (2023-05-03) source
• GunsAll of that, plus ban assault-style weapons and high-capacity magazinesmedium

  Official action · medium confidence

  • Hochul signed a 10-bill package that requires a license to buy semiautomatic rifles and bars their purchase by anyone under 21, bans most body armor sales, expands red flag orders, and ends grandfathering of high-capacity feeding devices. (2022-06-06) source
• Gender care for minorsProtect access to it by lawmedium

  Official action · medium confidence

  • Hochul signed a law making New York a safe haven for transgender youth by protecting their health information, shielding their doctors, and barring law enforcement from targeting them. (2023-06-25) source
• AI regulationFederal safety rules for powerful AI, with states free to add moremedium

  Official action · medium confidence

  • Hochul signed the RAISE Act, which requires large developers of frontier AI models to publish safety protocols and report serious incidents to the state within 72 hours, and creates a state oversight office. (2025-12-19) source
  • She said the federal government is failing to put common-sense AI rules in place. (2025-12-19) source
• Nuclear powerBack new reactors with public funds, tax credits, and streamlined approvalsmedium

  Official action · medium confidence

  • Hochul directed the state-owned New York Power Authority to develop and build a new advanced nuclear power plant in Upstate New York, the first new nuclear construction in the state in a generation. (2025-06-23) source
• Kids onlineRequire app stores and platforms to verify age and get parental consentmedium

  Official action · medium confidence

  • Hochul signed the SAFE for Kids Act, which requires social media companies to restrict addictive feeds for users under 18, and the Child Data Protection Act, which bars collecting or selling minors' personal data without informed consent. (2024-06-20) source
• Election rulesEasier access: automatic registration and mail voting for anyonemedium

  Official action · medium confidence

  • Hochul signed the Early Mail Voter Act, which lets every registered voter request a mail ballot during early voting. (2023-09-20) source
  • She called a Court of Appeals ruling upholding the law a significant victory for democracy. (2024-08-20) source
• Housing and growthAllow townhomes and apartments in more places to bring prices downmedium

  Official action · medium confidence

  • Hochul announced a budget agreement with incentives for affordable housing statewide, new tools for New York City to build more housing, 500 million dollars to build up to 15,000 homes on state land, and stronger tenant protections. (2024-04-23) source
• AbortionLegal in most cases up to viability (about 24 weeks)low

  Said · low confidence

  • Hochul signed a law protecting New York providers who prescribe medication abortion by telehealth to patients in states where abortion is restricted. (2023-06-23) source
  • She said New York remains committed to ensuring abortion remains safe, accessible and legal. (2023-06-23) source
• ImmigrationNo single answer fitsmedium

  Official action · medium confidence

  • Hochul signed the Local Cops, Local Crimes Act, which bans local police from entering 287(g) agreements with ICE; the ban took effect in August 2026. (2026-08-25) source
  • She said local police should not serve as de facto ICE agents or carry out civil immigration enforcement. (2026-08-25) source
• Energy and climateNo single answer fitsmedium

  Official action · medium confidence

  • Hochul directed state agencies to speed up renewable energy projects as part of what her office calls an all-of-the-above energy strategy. (2025-09-26) source
  • She directed the New York Power Authority to build a new nuclear plant as the state retires aging fossil fuel plants. (2025-06-23) source
• Policing and crimeNo single answer fitsmedium

  Official action · medium confidence

  • Hochul's 2024 budget gave judges more discretion to set bail for serious crimes and invested 347 million dollars in gun violence prevention. (2023-05-03) source
• RedistrictingNo single answer fitslow

  Said · low confidence

  • After the Supreme Court's Voting Rights Act ruling, Hochul said she would discuss redrawing New York's congressional maps and wants voters to have a say rather than leaving it only to the Legislature. (2026-05-05) source

No public position found on: Safety net programs, Business regulation, Healthcare, School choice, Curriculum and books, Judges, Politicians trading stocks, Marijuana, Term limits, Campaign finance, Electoral College, Ranked-choice voting, Death penalty, Qualified immunity, Mandatory minimums, Drug prices, Paid leave, Student loans, School vaccines, E-Verify mandate, Transgender athletes, DEI programs, Religion in schools, China policy.