Gov. Kathy Hochul is the Democratic incumbent at the top of New York’s November ticket, but several Long Island Democrats appear to be treating her endorsement like a name best left off the family photo. The omission is drawing attention because the governor is facing Republican Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman in a race that will test how much Democratic candidates want to be associated with Albany — and with New York City’s powerful progressive wing.
A review of Long Island campaign websites found that multiple Democratic candidates do not list Hochul among their endorsements, the New York Post reported. The list includes Reps. Tom Suozzi and Laura Gillen, as well as several local candidates in Nassau and Suffolk counties. That does not necessarily mean they have withdrawn support, but it does suggest that Hochul’s political value is being weighed carefully in suburban districts.
Suozzi’s campaign site highlights support from the Glen Cove Police Benevolent Association and a message built around bipartisan, common-sense politics, while Gillen’s endorsement page emphasizes backing from House Democratic leaders and national organizations, according to Suozzi’s campaign website and Gillen’s campaign website. Chris Gallant, the Democratic candidate in Suffolk’s 1st Congressional District, prominently lists endorsements from Pete Buttigieg, Kirsten Gillibrand and Pat Ryan on his own campaign page, but not Hochul, as shown by Gallant’s endorsement list.
The quiet treatment is not the same as a party revolt. Nassau Democrats have endorsed Hochul, and the New York State Democratic Party announced that 41 local officials from Nassau and Suffolk — including supervisors, council members, legislators, mayors and clerks — were backing her reelection, according to The East Hampton Star.
Why Hochul’s Name Is Suddenly Awkward
The political calculation appears to come down to Long Island’s split personality: Democrats can win there, but Republicans remain highly competitive, especially in Nassau and Suffolk. The New York Post reported that state Democratic Chair Jay Jacobs believes Hochul is in a strong position on the Island, while Democratic insiders questioned whether associating local candidates too closely with her could create problems with suburban voters.
One factor is Hochul’s alliance with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, whose progressive brand remains a potential liability in conservative-leaning parts of the suburbs. Mamdani endorsed Hochul for reelection earlier this year, and Hochul had backed Mamdani’s mayoral campaign; the relationship has been framed as a unified Democratic front by The Associated Press, while Hoodline previously covered the alliance.
The Island’s recent electoral history gives candidates a reason to be cautious. Lee Zeldin won Suffolk County by 17 percentage points and Nassau County by 11 points in the 2022 governor’s race, even as Hochul narrowly won statewide, according to NY1’s election results review.
That leaves Long Island Democrats playing a familiar game of political distance: support the governor when party unity requires it, but foreground local endorsements and suburban issues when voters are watching. For Hochul, the challenge is not simply winning the state — it is convincing Democrats in the neighborhoods that decide competitive congressional and local races that standing beside her will help more than it hurts.
As the general election campaign takes shape, the websites may change, the endorsement lists may grow and Hochul’s name may become harder to avoid. For now, though, the blank space is saying plenty.
