Hochul raises $21.6 million since launching gubernatorial campaign

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) announced Tuesday that she has raised $21.6 million since launching her gubernatorial campaign in mid-August, a hefty haul establishing her as the front-runner in the race’s Democratic primary.

Hochul’s campaign said it is going forward with $21.3 million in the bank and touted its five-month haul as “record-setting.” The campaign also drew donations from every one of New York’s 62 counties.

The fundraising haul underscores Hochul’s edge in the primary, which pits her against New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams and Rep. Thomas Suozzi, who represents a district in Long Island. Already, her campaign prowess is believed to have helped nudge state Attorney General Letitia James (D) out of the race and kept New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) on the sidelines.

Williams and Suozzi have not yet publicly disclosed their fundraising, but an adviser for Suozzi told The New York Times that he had taken in more than $3 million since launching his campaign in November and transferred another $2 million from his congressional campaign account. 

The latest polling has also shown Hochul with yawning leads in the primary, which will take place in late June.

Hochul, who took over as governor after Andrew Cuomo resigned from the office in disgrace last year, has focused much of her tenure on combating the coronavirus pandemic, improving the state economy and overhauling the governor’s office. However, her full financial filing could show that she shares donors with Cuomo, which could risk a setback in her efforts to separate herself from Cuomo, who resigned following several allegations of sexual assault and harassment.

Whoever wins the Democratic primary will be the heavy favorite to win the general election in November given New York’s deep-blue hue.

Rep. Lee Zeldin, former Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino and Andrew Giuliani, the son of former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, are running for the Republican nomination.