Incumbent Kathy Hochul is on track to become the first-ever elected female governor of New York this year. But her campaign has been marred with multiple controversies, which have resurfaced as the New York primary elections approach.

Hochul, who stepped in as the governor last year after Andrew Cuomo’s resignation, will be contesting the primary elections on June 28, 2022. She is campaigning against frontrunners like US Rep. Tom Suozzi and public advocate Jumaane Williams. 

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Hochul’s association with Andrew Cuomo

Hochul had distanced herself from her former boss and New York governor Andrew Cuomo, who resigned under the weight of numerous sexual harassment allegations last year. She even criticised her former boss.

However, with primary elections approaching, her link to Cuomo has been brought up by political rivals. “At the end of my term, whenever it ends, no one will ever describe my administration as a toxic work environment”, Hochul said last year.

Hochul’s past support for gun rights

The New York governor’s past backing from the National Rifle Association and support for expanded gun rights was brought up in a gubernatorial debate recently.

“That was a decade ago. Judge me by what I have done because a lot of people have evolved since I took that position,” she said. “You know what we need? More people to evolve”, Hochul said in response.

Brian Benjamin’s resignation

Brian Benjamin, who was Hochul’s second in command, resigned from the lieutenant governor role earlier this year. He has been accused of participating in a scheme to receive campaign contributions from a real estate developer in exchange for using his influence as a lawmaker to send a grant of state funds to a nonprofit controlled by the developer.

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“It was very very disappointing to me that those charges were brought because we worked with the information that we had at the time,” Hochul said.

Hochul then appointed then-US Rep. Antonio Delgado to fill the lieutenant governor’s office. Delgado will also be her running mate in the upcoming primaries.