Rep. Nancy Pelosi publicly threw shade at Gov. Kathy Hochul this week, appearing to blame her for Democrats failing to hold onto their House majority in the 2022 midterms.
The former House speaker, during an interview at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, pointed to Hochul’s near-loss to former GOP Rep. Lee Zeldin for dragging down Dems in several competitive New York congressional races.
“I think it related to the gubernatorial race,” the California congresswoman said at a POLITICO forum Thursday, when asked “what happened” that year.
Republicans flipped four New York House seats held by Democrats during the midterms.
Asked about the Pelosi’s comments in a TV interview Friday, Hochul replied, “I just don’t agree with that. That’s fine.”
“We are going to win this on the ground because I know how to do this,” Hochul continued on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”
“I now have the chance to focus on this. I’m not a candidate myself this year, so I can laser focus on these races, the Hudson Valley, Syracuse, Central New York, all the way to the tip of Long Island. We’re going to win these races and win strong,” she said.
It comes as Hochul has seemingly been trying to rehabilitate her political reputation following that embarrassing showing.
Zeldin had the best showing of any GOP candidate for governor since 2002, winning nearly 47% of the vote in deep blue New York.
Though Republicans didn’t have the “Red Wave” they were hoping for nationwide, GOP candidates carried all five races that Cook Political Report had rated as toss ups.
It’s not the first time Pelosi has bashed Hochul over Dems’ performance two years ago.
Earlier this year, Pelosi was caught on tape telling battleground Hudson Valley Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) that he had Hochul to thank for his upset 2022 victory against former Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney.
Hochul won a special election to the House in 2011 while Pelosi was minority leader. Hochul framed herself as a moderate and broke with Democrats on a few occasions.
