In her fifth State of the State address, Gov. Kathy Hochul on Tuesday laid out her agenda for 2026, a year that will culminate in her second reelection bid.
In her speech, the governor seemed to be striving for three things: reminding New Yorkers and potential voters of her accomplishments, with much of the speech focusing on what she sees as achievements so far, especially as it relates to public safety. She also worked to position herself as a check on President Donald Trump and Republicans in Washington, while proving that she can work with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to achieve at least some elements of his ambitious agenda.
“Accountability matters,” Hochul said. “No one, from the president on down, is above the law.”
In the speech, that came in the form of a balancing act. Hochul demonstrated that she wants to take some action to counter the Trump administration on Immigration through policies to prohibit ICE from entering protected areas like schools, hospitals and places of worship without a judicial warrant and another measure which would make it easier for individuals to sue if their constitutional rights are violated, with Hochul directly referencing the shooting of Renee Good in Minneapolis.
In pitching a plan to achieve universal child care statewide, Hochul name-dropped Mamdani and worked to sell a proposal that falls short of what the mayor pushed for but makes significant strides. Hochul’s proposal would achieve universal pre-K for 4-year-olds across New York state by the start of the 2028-29 school year, introduce 2K and expand 3K in New York City and introduce child care pilot programs in targeted communities elsewhere in the state, among other initiatives.
Hochul stressed she can achieve these things without hiking income taxes on the state’s high earners as many progressives have pushed for.