By Gus Saltonstall
West Side Rag interviewed the governor of New York this weekend.
Gov. Kathy Hochul visited the West 79th Street Greenmarket and the Grand Bazaar outdoor market on Sunday afternoon.
She made her way through the popular Upper West Side market, shaking hands with vendors and taking photos with families, before she strolled into the Bazaar to check out the wares.
“Meet the governor, meet the governor,” Councilmember Gale Brewer called out to those passing by. She was there in support of Hochul, along with Assemblymember Micah Lasher.
Hochul is running as the incumbent against Republican Bruce Blakeman in the General Election this November.
“Why is it important to campaign on the Upper West Side?” the Rag asked.
“I’ve been to this Greenmarket before. It’s a great place for the community to come together, and people are really surprised to see the governor here, but I love to surprise them,” Hochul answered. “I just got the chance to thank some of the vendors for the hard work they do. I see families that are out with their little kids. It’s a wonderful, positive experience, and it speaks to the quality of life here on the Upper West Side.”
She added, “I’ve spent a lot of time on the Upper West Side. Gale’s been my ambassador since 2014 when I first started running, and Micah worked for me, so being here with my friends is very special to me.”
Lasher worked as Hochul’s policy director before announcing his candidacy for Assembly District 69 in 2024. He is now the Democratic nominee for Congressional District 12.
Hochul received an overwhelmingly positive response from the Upper West Side crowds on Sunday, with multiple people calling out in support of the governor’s candidacy and others waiting in lines for a photo. True to neighborhood form, one person walking by yelled out, “When’s the 72nd Street bike lane getting approved?” But his voice got muffled out in the throng.
Someone who did hear the question, though, quickly shot back, “Hopefully never!”
“The state almost has a stranglehold over New York City in many ways,” Brewer told the Rag when asked about the importance of a statewide election on the local level. “Everything from red light cameras to transportation dollars, healthcare dollars — you can list a million different ways we either split money with the state or have them provide it all. Upper West Siders need to care about who represents them at the top of state leadership.”
Lasher added, “Everyone needs to understand that the governor’s election is not a parallel of the presidential election. There is no electoral college when it comes to electing the governor, and so, a vote on the Upper West Side matters just as much as a vote in Long Island or in Upstate New York. You can’t take these elections for granted.”
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Queen Kathy Hochul for the win! New York outside of Manhattan and Buffalo is hostile ground for her!
Micah is right, very important for heavily Dem districts like the UWS get out and vote for Hochul!
““The state almost has a stranglehold over New York City in many ways,” Brewer told the Rag when asked about the importance of a statewide election on the local level.
This is why I am voting for Blakeman this fall. I have nothing against Hochul, other than her tolerance for our out-of-control Mayor who needs a “stranglehold. “