Wassail, toddies, and, well, yes, politics

By Ted Potrikus

Ah, mid-December, when thoughts turn to the wrappings and trappings of the holiday season and joy-filled activities like wassailing and hot toddying and the Jenga stack that is New York State politics.
New York Attorney General Tish James last week announced the end of her brief run chasing Governor Kathy Hochul for the Democratic Party nomination for governor in 2022. Surely that news brought seasonal joy to New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, since — at least for now — he stands to gain a decent swath of the farther-left voters who probably were leaning toward the AG. And soon-to-be former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, who keeps hinting that he’s going to get in the gubernatorial chase one of these days soon, is giddy dreaming that he’s in line for those left-leaners. He also ran for president in 2016.

Governor Hochul, of course, has to be pleased: General James was the candidate in the Democratic Party hunt with the most statewide name recognition and, importantly, the most reach into potential campaign donors. Her departure means that Gov. Hochul might not have to tack as hard to the left to keep herself well in the lead while maintaining her strong upstate base. Long Island Congressman Tom Suozzi, who wanted to go after Gov. Hochul by running right down the middle of the party’s political road, now may not have such a big platform from which to campaign.

The overarching lesson here is that anyone who underestimated the Governor’s political chops just got a pretty good reminder that she is no slouch in that department. Far, far from it. Would-be foes take note.
As for the Attorney General: she’s shifting her flag to run instead for a second full four-year term as the state’s top lawyer. That moved all kinds of political molehills; a powerful Westchester County state Senator who had planned to run as James’s successor announced immediately that she would run instead to keep her Senate post, which, in turn, let down a gaggle of local lawmakers who had their eye on taking her place in the state Legislature. Quadrennial also-ran Zephyr Teachout dropped out of the AG fray last weekend, smart enough to know she stood no chance in a head-to-head against Tish James.
There are a couple of other relatively high-profile Democrats in the state Legislature whom we know had been eyeing an AG run quite fondly. Don’t forget Andrew Cuomo, who was said to be thinking about spending down his $18 million campaign bank account to run for his old AG spot. They’ve got to be annoyed as the field suddenly clears.

I laughed out loud at a Twitter post over the weekend from a guy named Matt Mittenthal, who writes for BuzzFeed. “Once optimistic, NY Political Consultants Now Face Supply Chain Issues in 2022.” These image-shapers had to have been salivating at the potential for selling pricey advice to maybe a dozen candidates for two offices.

The AG’s decision, though, likely solidifies the Democrat ticket for next year — both she and Governor Hochul have strong support within a party that wants very much to be unified and strong as the 2022 Legislative Session and a fractious political year loom large on the horizon.

That doesn’t rule out any party in-fighting. A handful of well-placed and rather vocal downstate Democrats already have warned leaders that they aren’t having it with the go-along-to-get-along thing. They’re fueled heavily by an Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez contingent of internet-savvy, well-funded, and highly opinionated activists who choose to not sit still while party leaders sift out challengers to what they had in mind. We therefore expect Mssrs Williams, Suozzi, and de Blasio to give the race their level best to soak up that AOC-style support.

But it’s beginning to look a lot like a ticket in the making. And a whole lot of people disappointed that they can’t now take their own shot at moving up the state’s rickety political ladder.

Enjoy your toddy!