Governor Kathy Hochul will speak at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago next week.
It is a coveted location that is sure to put New York in the spotlight.
“I am honored to accept the invitation to perform on Monday night,” Hochul said at a press conference in Midtown Manhattan on Thursday. “Biden will be there, and Hillary Clinton and I are really, really honored that they chose me to perform that evening.”
Hochul was selected by the Kamala Harris-Tim Walz campaign to speak to a crowd of national Democrats and will soon be on the big stage.
Hochul quickly shifted her support to Vice President Kamala Harris last month. Now she will lead one of the largest Democratic delegations to officially crown Harris’ candidacy.
“To get the opportunity to speak on the first night of the convention is like being the first batter for Aaron Judge. It’s an incredible situation,” said Austin Shafran, a Democratic consultant.
The 307 delegates from New York have a packed schedule. Hochul also organized a boat ride on Lake Michigan on Monday – all before they are called to hear from national Democrats – and eventually the candidate herself.
“There have been comparisons recently between the careers of the Democratic presidential candidate and the incumbent governor of New York. Both were in the number two position and then had to rise to the position of chief executive. That’s what Hochul did, and that’s what Harris is aiming for,” Lee Miringoff, director of the Marist Institute for Public Opinion, told NY1.
Democrats are targeting nearly half a dozen Republican-held seats in New York’s Congress in their bid to gain control of the U.S. House of Representatives.
“You want to keep the audience engaged, so I think you should talk more about the progress women have made in politics and their role in that regard in New York,” Miringoff said.
“The immigration issue is something that Democrats need to address, move forward and maybe even reverse,” he added. “When you talk about immigration, you talk about it the way Mario Cuomo may have done in the past, in terms of all the different groups that have come to America.”
Political consultant Austin Shafran says Democrats need to focus on unifying the party.
“Now the Israel-Hamas issue has clearly come to the forefront and could drive a wedge into the Democratic Party. But if we share the common goal of preventing Donald Trump from remaining in office for another four years,” he said. “Once you get to the ballot box, you still have to campaign for a Democrat.”
Other New Yorkers expected to speak include Hillary Clinton, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Congressman Tom Suozzi and City Councilman Yusuf Salaam.
