Governor Kathy Hochul’s speech at the 2025 Caucus Reception was filled with political rhetoric but lacked real solutions, showcasing the failures of her administration. Under her leadership, New York faces rising crime, an economic downturn, and an escalating migrant crisis. Rather than taking responsibility, Hochul blames Washington while refusing to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement, prioritizing illegal immigrants over law-abiding citizens. Her stance on abortion enforcement defies legal cooperation between states, setting a dangerous precedent. She invokes historical figures to justify progressive activism but ignores the pressing issues of high taxes, crumbling infrastructure, and affordability concerns driving residents out of New York. Instead of addressing economic growth and public safety, Hochul leans into partisan politics, celebrating allies while avoiding discussions on policy failures. Her legacy is one of decline, and if she truly wants to lead, she must move beyond grandstanding and focus on tangible results for New Yorkers.
NY Governor Hochul Delivers Remarks at the 2025 Caucus Reception
Governor Hochul: “If there was ever a moment in our state history that required guts, it is right now. And I’m so proud to lead this state with incredible partners… There’s a storm in Washington. It’s complicated. New York City is very complicated. But I want to tell you this: I’ve been in the elective office for 31 years… I’m used to being the eye of the hurricane. That’s my place where I live. So we’re going to calm it all down, okay? We’re going to be okay, because you have strong leaders who know how to take it to the mat. And I’m ready to say, ‘Let’s get ready to rumble.’ I will fight for New Yorkers with every breath of my body.”
Hochul: “This is a time of celebration; to get reenergized, to get fired up, to believe in our purpose here today, because that’s why God put us on earth. No other reason, no other reason we’re taking up space on this earth than to lift up the lives of others. To make this place better. And New York State will always lead the nation as we have throughout history.”
Earlier today, Governor Kathy Hochul delivered remarks at the 2025 Caucus Reception.
A rush transcript of the Governor’s remarks is available below:
Alright. Looks like a party — something you haven’t done all weekend yet, right? Yeah, I can see the bags under your eyes. And the day is still young. So, I just cherish this event. I truly do. In fact, the entire weekend is so energizing for me. I think I’ll have gone to maybe 10 events; you’ve gone to many more. But it gives us a chance to reconnect with who we are. To think about the people who came before us and the journey that got us to where we are today. But also ask the question, “Where are we going now?”
And where we are going now depends on the leadership we have in our state. And I want to give a special shout out, and I think she’s still here, to our Attorney General, Tish James, who has taken on the fight. There she is. We are so damn lucky at this particular moment in time, to have her courage, her defiance and her willingness to go into court and take on whatever comes our way out of Washington. So I want to give her a round of applause again. She’s an extraordinary leader.
And who else is leading the State? Majority Leader Andrea Stewart Cousins is here! She’s an unbelievable leader and represents the entire state with such heart and passion and a belief in lifting people up. I want to thank her for being such a great friend. We also have the Majority Leader of the Assembly, Crystal Peoples-Stokes, who I’ll be introducing in a few minutes. There she is. We’re going to talk about her a lot in a couple minutes. But, we also have a guy named Carl Heastie, too. I love our speaker, I don’t know if he could be here today, but there’s a common denominator. You know, Carl’s a good guy. He’s great. We love him.
But there’s a lot of strong women out here, aren’t there? Okay, a lot of strong women who, to get up in this place and be elected in a statewide position or a major role like the Majority Leader, it takes guts. But I want to say right now is: if there was ever a moment in our state history that required guts, it is right now. And I’m proud to lead this state with incredible partners. And Latrice Walker, unbelievable weekend. Congratulations to all you’ve done here. I know Assemblymember Solages, I’ve seen her a whole lot. I know she’s coming in and out, but I want to thank my administration. I know we heard from our DOT Commissioner Dominguez. You heard from our district attorney. I mean, what a rock star Eric Gonzalez is. Also, Steven Raga, our assemblymember. Thank them. But also give it up for people like Stacey Lynch and my entire team who are here.
Well, let’s get down to business. Hell of a week, friends. Hell of a week. Started out with the Attorney General in Washington on national television telling everybody she’s bringing charges against me because I’m standing up to uphold the laws of our state that are duly enacted by our Legislature and I’m sworn to uphold. But you’re coming after me for saying that I think that people who are here, living here, working here, contributing to our economy, should not be able to drive to work or get their kids to a doctor’s appointment? No, I am not I’m not opening up our DMV database to you, because I don’t know—
Now, we know why they would want it. But here’s how I’m going to broaden the issue: There are a lot of good people in law enforcement. I’m not going to say there are not. But what we have right now in Washington — people from Elon Musk and DOGE getting access to our IRS records now and all this information — do you really want them to have access to the DMV so they can find out something about your 16 year old daughter who has a permit in my database? I mean, this is broader than just the immigrant community. This is a scary thought. These are state records about state people, and I have to protect them.
And then, right around the same time, I’m getting papers from the great state of Louisiana, telling me I’m supposed to turn over an abortion provider, a courageous woman who lives right in the Hudson Valley, and turn her over to face prosecution — facing 15 years in jail. Over my dead body will you get her from me.
And yes, I will say this: There’s a storm in Washington. It’s complicated. New York City is very complicated. But I want to tell you this: I’ve been in the elective office for 31 years, and maybe the toughest thing I had to do in that was also to raise a couple of teenagers, okay? You know what I’m saying, parents? I’m used to being the eye of the hurricane. That’s my place where I live. So we’re going to calm it all down, okay? We’re going to be okay, because you have strong leaders who know how to take it to the mat. And I’m ready to say, “Let’s get ready to rumble.” I will fight for New Yorkers with every breath of my body. So when you’re feeling under siege and you have communities that are anxious and worried, say, “Don’t worry. Our governor’s got this. She’s got this. She’s been there. She’s experienced, and she has great people around her.”
So I just need to let everybody know we’re going to be okay. And all we have to do after a weekend like this, is call on those who came before us under tougher times. I mean, think about tiny little Harriet Tubman who, with such courage, she didn’t just come back and save her neck, she went back to Maryland countless times, freeing slaves, being hounded by bloodhounds, going through the swamps at night, trying to find her way north in the dark — touching the side of the tree, you could feel the moss grows on the north side, so she touched it, she knew where she was going.
I read that book when I was eight years old. That’s part of who I am. Her story — I believe in people like that, and Sojourner Truth. Her voice was so critical back then. We need the Sojourner Truths of today. Where’s the Harriet Tubman of today to lead us out of darkness into light and into freedom? That’s what we have to do, everyone. And those people are in this room.
Because someday, history is going to look at us. How do we measure up to these courageous people — the people who started the Underground Railroad and brought people through Crystal Peoples-Stokes hometown and mine, freeing people over to Canada, because otherwise they’re going to be killed or returned to slavery — that’s where we come from, right Crystal? The Underground Railroad, Mary Talbert was there. Great hero. The NAACP, guess where it started? Yes, in Buffalo, New York. The Niagara Movement. And I’m not going to brag more about Buffalo just because — but it’s also got the best football team in America. But, deal with it Eddie. Eddie, I’ve had enough crap from you. Deal with that. Alright, there you go.
So, I say this: This is a time of celebration to get reenergized, to get fired up, to believe in our purpose here today, because that’s why God put us on earth. No other reason, no other reason we’re taking up space on this earth than to lift up the lives of others. To make this place better. And New York State will always lead the nation as we have throughout history. Don’t worry about us, or as Crystal is fond of saying, “Lift as you climb.” That’s her saying. Lift as you climb. That’s not just, “Climb for your sake of getting the power and the glory yourselves.” It’s making sure God’s power and glory is there to lift up others.
And that’s one of the reasons I love this woman so much. She comes from the streets of Buffalo. She’s tough. I was an elected official throughout most of her career. I saw what you had to endure. The discrimination and the hatred she had to endure, even just being a woman in a position of power in Erie County when there were very few women who could step up and do this.
She ran for Congress back in ‘96. I campaigned with her. She’s been through the trials and tribulations, but when she sets her mind to something, do not get in her way. She fought to make sure we had a legal cannabis system that dealt with social equity to give everybody a chance to overcome what they had been through.
She fought to make sure our streets are safer, that we could heal communities that have been severed by infrastructure. Robert Moses divided the black and white community in Buffalo, and in the 1950s nobody stood up to it and they let it happen. Crystal says, “We’re bringing back our cities, we’re healing them once again, so we can reunite our black and brown communities.” So, I need to say this, as she often says, this is her motto: “God be the glory.” And I thank God. I thank God every day that he put Crystal Peoples-Stokes on our earth, in my city, in our State Legislature.
Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for Crystal Peoples-Stokes!
February 16, 2025
Albany, NY
Sources: NY.gov, Midtown Tribune
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