New York Governor Kathy Hochul, recently re-elected to a second term, does not rule out running as the Democratic Party presidential candidate's running mate in the 2028 election. In an interview with the New York Times, she said she has made no firm commitments, but is not planning to "slam the door shut." The question of her national role remains open, while she focuses her attention on the state's current priorities.
In the November election, Hochul received 59.7 percent of the vote, while her Republican opponent Blakeman received 40.1 percent. The victory was a confirmation of her mandate to continue her work in Albany. She named the introduction of universal access to child care as the main priority of her second term. According to her, this issue gives her a chance to gain wider national recognition, and she would like to speak about it well beyond the state's borders.
Among the possible Democratic candidates for 2028, Kamala Harris, Gavin Newsom, Wes Moore, JB Pritzker and Josh Shapiro have been named. At the Politico summit in March, Hochul praised what she called the "deep bench" of Democratic governors, thereby pointing to the breadth of the party's reserve ahead of the next election cycle. Her mention alongside these figures became one of the reasons for discussing her prospects.
Hochul remains one of the consistent critics of Donald Trump, including during his second presidential term. In September, she accused the Department of Homeland Security of delaying several million dollars in federal counterterrorism funds that were due to go to New York. She also welcomed the possibility that Democrats, if they gain control of Congress, would investigate Trump's program, and stressed that a Democratic Congress could become an important tool for overseeing the executive branch.
The governor's office did not respond to a Fox News request for comment on her possible role in 2028. Information about Hochul's position is based on the New York Times interview, cited by Fox News, and the governor's recent public statements. No additional official confirmation, including from party leadership, had been received at the time of preparing this material.