Rep. Tom Suozzi announced Monday that he’s running for New York governor next year as a “commonsense Democrat” focused on kitchen table issues, potentially posing a thorn in the side of Gov. Kathy Hochul, who’s vying for election on a similarly centrist campaign platform.
Suozzi, a two-term Long Island congressman with a moderate legislative track record, is the fourth candidate to hop into the crowded gubernatorial race, with Hochul already facing progressive primary challenges from State Attorney General Letitia James and city Public Advocate Jumaane Williams.
Asked in a wide-ranging news conference why he’s better suited for the job than fellow centrist Hochul, Suozzi said that he’s a “commonsense Democrat who gets things done.”
“I don’t pander. I’m straightforward. Get things done, based upon what’s the right thing to do, regardless of, you know — you can’t put me in a box,” said Suozzi, who served as Nassau County executive before his 2017 election to Congress.
Though he didn’t want to be ideologically pigeonholed, Suozzi floated traditionally centrist proposals on a range of policies, including taxation and crime.
