As the New York governor's race tightens, anxious state Democrats are turning to former party standard-bearer Hillary Clinton to boost female voter turnout and elect incumbent Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul to her first full term.
According to CNN, Clinton's Thursday appearance with Hochul in New York City will be the first candidate-specific campaign event she will headline this year. Despite being one of the most nationally-recognized Democrats, Clinton has been one of the party's most absent surrogates in recent election cycles.
Clinton will be joined by Vice President Kamala Harris, New York Attorney General Letitia James, and Hochul for the event at Barnard College in Manhattan, which comes six days before Hochul looks to voters to return her to the governor's mansion.
The Empire State's first female governor, Hochul replaced former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who resigned in disgrace in August 2021 amid sexual harassment allegations.
A Clinton spokesperson told CNN that the former secretary of State will tout Democrats' record on the economy and contend that undecided voters must take Republican candidates at their word when they voice support for changing Medicare and Social Security.
Hearkening back to her 2016 stump speech, Clinton will also caution voters with a quote by poet Maya Angelou — "When people show you who they are, believe them the first time."
On Thursday, the spokesperson said she will make the case that Republicans who say they care about crime are "only worried about crime when it is politically convenient," noting how some in the GOP have made light of the attack on Paul Pelosi, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband.
"I hope that voters really rally in this last week, before the midterms, to understand fully what's at stake, to not get diverted," Clinton told MSNBC Tuesday night. "Like I said, the Republicans have been talking about nothing but crime. When a crime is committed against Paul Pelosi, they could care less."
"The Republicans talk a good game, but they rarely do anything, other than try to take away your freedoms, undermine the quality of our life, make our political discourse violent, instead of bringing people together," she added.
According to CNN, Democrats currently control every major state and city office and legislative body in New York and no Republican has been elected to statewide office since former Gov. George Pataki won a third term in 2002.
Hochul is locked in an unexpectedly competitive race with Republican Lee Zeldin, who has roasted her on inflation, crime, and the controversial bail reform law that was passed in 2019.
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