In her State of the State speech Tuesday, Gov. Kathy Hochul told New Yorkers that she will be a bulwark against President Donald Trump, pushing back against some of his immigration actions and budget cuts.

She also embraced some of the talking points of Mayor Zohran Mamdani, saying she wants to bring universal child care to the entire state while also making it more affordable.

What You Need To Know

  • Gov. Kathy Hochul delivered her vision for the next year to New Yorkers, while also reminding them of what she’s already done

  • But throughout the speech, New York’s top Democrat, who’s up for reelection this year, made a point to single out at least two top politicians: President Donald Trump and Mayor Zohran Mamdani

  • She shied away from controversial parts of her record: missing green energy goals established in the 2019 climate law, approving a gas pipeline project and didn’t mention possible future tax hikes — something Mamdani later said he’s still committed to

“I shaped our agenda for 2026 and beyond. As I did that, I kept returning to conversations from everyday New Yorkers from every corner of the state,” she said, addressing a crowd in an Albany theater for nearly an hour.

Hochul delivered her vision for the next year to New Yorkers, while also reminding them of what she’s already done.

“The impact is undeniable. Retail is surging. More college grads are moving to New York than anywhere else in the entire country,” she added.

Listing projects such as her hand in the Penn Station renovation, pushing forward the Interborough Express project and revamping both Belmont Park and the Buffalo Bills Stadium, Hochul highlighted her commitment to economic development.

But throughout the speech, New York’s top Democrat, who’s up for reelection this year, made a point of singling out at least two top politicians: President Donald Trump and Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

“The message is still the same. We will not bow to a wanna be king,” she said.

Attracting standing ovations from Democrats in the crowd, while proposing laws that would permit federal immigration officials to be tried in state court if found to violate an individual’s constitutional rights and also mandate they carry judicial warrants when entering a hospital, house of worship or school — prompting some Republican lawmakers to exit the auditorium.

“Public safety will always come first, but it must be pursued lawfully and with humanity. We will not allow masked ICE agents to storm our schools, our day care centers, our hospitals, our houses of worship for civil immigration raids,” Hochul said.

Mamdani also received his share of gratitude from Hochul, appearing to share the applause for universal childcare after the moderate Democrat specifically thanked him.

She shied away from controversial parts of her record: missing green energy goals established in the 2019 climate law, approving a gas pipeline project and didn’t mention possible future tax hikes, which is something Mamdani later said he’s still committed to.

“New York City requires additional recurring revenue, and we inherited a budget that mismanaged finances at every turn and our city also plays an outside role in supporting the state, that in itself is a legacy of the prior governor and we also have to ensure that we have the resources not only to fund our affordability agenda but also to fund the demands of our city’s budget,” Mamdani said.

Hochul made a point of calling out recent events: the recent shooting of the Minneapolis woman by an ICE agent and decried Queens protesters who cheered the terrorist organization, Hamas.

Emphasizing her commitment to protect houses of worship with so-called buffer zones, “People who wanna pray can do so, without fear or harassment, they can do so, everybody deserves it, every faith deserves it,” Hochul said.

She drew praise from Jewish elected officials, like Queens Democrat Nily Rozic.

“The governor has been a huge ally to the Jewish community, stepping in where the city couldn’t or wouldn’t, quite frankly, and really protecting the Jewish community,” Rozic told NY1.

Next week, Hochul and her state budget director will disclose how they plan to pay for all her plans, promising the state is in good financial health but also warning about predicted federal funding cuts.