The Democratic candidate running against Republican Rep. Mike Lawler shockingly threw Gov. Kathy Hochul under the bus — telling a crowd she agreed with her opponent that the governor “has got to go.”
asserted
governor → run → opponent
Cait Conley delivered the jaw-dropping burn this week, becoming the second Democratic congressional candidate to publicly distance themselves from Hochul ahead of next month’s midterms.
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Conley → deliver → midterms
The stunning moment came after Lawler, the incumbent congressman repping New York’s 17th House District, railed againstt New York’s business climate — citing the highest in the nation taxes, congestion pricing and red rape — during a Putnam County VFW forum Tuesday night.
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Lawler → come → forum
“We need a new governor.
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We → need → governor
Kathy Hochul has to go,” he said in closing, as the conservative-leaning crowd cheered him on, video obtained by The Post shows.
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video → have → Post
“I have to tell you: I’m in absolute agreement with my opponent,” Conley, who was sitting next to Lawler at the dais, surprisingly said immediately after as she stood to address the group.
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she → have → group
Lawler and other Republicans on the dais started clapping, and one yelled, “Blakeman!” referring to Hochul’s GOP opponent in the November 3 election.
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one → clap → election
Lawler even looked at Conley and smiled, telling her, “I set you up on that one.”
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I → look → one
“We’re not helping you in a moment when you desperately need it,” Conley, an Army veteran and Biden administration national security adviser, told the veterans’ group during her response.
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Conley → help → response
She noted that New York’s $17 minimum wage is among the highest in the country, which puts local businesses at a competitive disadvantage and said she supported a higher federal minimum wage to deal with the disparity.
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she → note → disparity
Still, the Conley campaign claimed Lawler was “lying” about her caught-on-video response at the VFW forum, though did not mention Hochul by name.
“After yet another disastrous debate performance, career political operative Mike Lawler is lying in a desperate attempt to save face,” said Conley campaign spokesperson Maddy Rosen.
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Rosen → claim → face
“As the full recording makes clear, Cait Conley was agreeing that New York’s small business owners need more support.
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owners → make → support
That shouldn’t be a partisan issue, but a party-first politician like Mike Lawler could never comprehend that.”
uncertain
politician → comprehend → that
Conley has lauded Hochul on other occasions.
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Conley → laud → occasions
The Democratic hopeful Conley has heaped praise on Hochul for her moratorium on new data center development and her sanctuary measures banning localities from entering into agreements with ICE.
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Conley → heap → ICE
At Wednesday’s PIX11 debate a day after the forum, when asked to give the governor a report card rating, Conley gave Hochul a “B.”
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Conley → ask → B.
The two have not publicly campaigned or held rallies together, but Hochul spoke at a fundraiser for Conley in Peekskill on October 4.
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Hochul → campaign → October
An internal Lawler campaign poll released earlier this month had Hochul polling at 47% to Blakeman’s 51% in the district.
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Hochul → release → district
The same poll had Conley also at 47%.
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Conley → have → %
It’s the second instance in a week in which a Democratic congressional hopeful distanced themself from Hochul.
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hopeful → ’ → Hochul
Democrat Blake Gendebien refused to say if he would even vote or support Hochul when asked by a Utica-area radio station on October 8.
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he → refuse → October
He’s running to replace retiring Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik in the 21st upstate House district, which encompasses the North Country.
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which → run → Country
“What I support is anyone that will help the North Country be absolutely successful,” Gendebien said on WUTQ’s Talk of the Town.
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Gendebien → support → Town
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