"People want results now,"

Hochul has described her political evolution as one of pragmatic adaptation rather than ideological rigidity. She has often defended her political shifts by saying she is fulfilling her obligations as an elected representative. "People want results now," she told New York Magazine in 2021 [1].

Asked about her relationship with the governor whose resignation lifted her to office, she told local news channel NY1 in 2021 that it was "no secret that the governor and I were not close" and that Cuomo had his own tight inner circle, adding that she had created her own space [1].

Reflecting on a public speaking course she took during her years as a stay-at-home mother in Hamburg, she has said it taught her how to speak impromptu and "how to be comfortable in my own skin" [1].

"create 10,000 union jobs"

Announcing the $1.4 billion Buffalo Bills stadium deal that included $850 million in direct public construction subsidies, Hochul told reporters the project would "create 10,000 union jobs" and that the state investment "will be recouped by the economic activity the team generates" [2]. The figure remained the largest direct public subsidy for an NFL stadium at the time, though other communities subsequently approved similar or larger deals.

"young Black kids in the Bronx"

In a speech at the Milken Institute Global Conference in Los Angeles, Hochul said New York was building a supercomputer that would be accessible to researchers and college students, but then added a remark about access to technology that drew immediate backlash: she said there were "young Black kids in the Bronx" who "don't even know what the word 'computer' is" [3].

Apologizing the following day, Hochul told the New York Post: "Of course, Black children in the Bronx know what computers are" [3]. She added that the problem was access to the technology needed to compete for jobs in emerging industries like AI, and that increasing economic opportunity had been a focus of her administration. Bronx state legislators, including Assembly Member Karines Reyes, were sharply critical.

"will never compromise on our progressive values"

Wrapping up her 2024 State of the State speech, in which she laid out a moderate-friendly agenda heavy on public safety, Hochul declared that New York "will never compromise on our progressive values" [4]. The framing struck observers as a closing flourish on a speech otherwise tailored to suburban moderates ahead of the 2024 congressional midterms.

"a $15 toll, at this time, is too much"

Announcing the indefinite pause of the New York City congestion pricing program on June 5, 2024, Hochul argued that "a $15 toll, at this time, is too much" for people who drive into the city [5]. Pressed by reporters days later about how the MTA would replace the projected $1 billion in annual revenue, she said: "To assume that the only funding source had to be congestion pricing shows a lack of imagination about understanding other opportunities to fund these projects" [6].

Asked repeatedly whether her decision was politically motivated, including whether she had been trying to protect suburban Democrats in the 2024 election, she denied that politics played a role. She attributed the timing of the pause to budget negotiations earlier in the year [7].

"I'm proud to announce we have found a path to fund the MTA, reduce congestion, and keep millions of dollars in the pockets of our commuters"

Announcing the revived program at a $9 base toll on November 14, 2024, Hochul said the lower rate would save drivers about $1,500 a year compared to the original $15 plan [7]. "I'm proud to announce we have found a path to fund the MTA, reduce congestion, and keep millions of dollars in the pockets of our commuters" [7].

Asked about congestion pricing opponents who remained dissatisfied, she said critics "can deal with their own constituents" [7].

"LONG LIVE THE KING"

After the Trump administration's Department of Transportation moved to terminate congestion pricing in February 2025, with President Trump posting "LONG LIVE THE KING" on Truth Social, Hochul responded sharply at a press conference alongside MTA Chair Janno Lieber: "It feels like the commuters of our city and our region are now the roadkill on Donald Trump's revenge tour against New York" [8].

She added a line that was widely circulated in the days that followed: "In case you don't know New Yorkers, when we're in a fight, we do not back down, not now, not ever" [8]. She confirmed the state's MTA had filed a lawsuit within minutes of receiving the federal letter.

"discussed the need to combat the rise of antisemitism urgently and unequivocally"

In her September 14, 2025, New York Times op-ed endorsing Zohran Mamdani for mayor, Hochul said her endorsement followed months of conversations and that their shared priorities outweighed their disagreements. On the most contentious issue, she said she and Mamdani had "discussed the need to combat the rise of antisemitism urgently and unequivocally" [9]. She added that she had been glad to see him meet with Jewish leaders and pledged to work with him to "make sure New Yorkers of all faiths feel safe and welcome in New York City" [9].

"strongly supported the state policy on this issue"

Speaking at a press conference in December 2025, weeks before Mamdani's January 2026 inauguration, Hochul reiterated her pro-Israel positioning while drawing a line between her views and her endorsee's. Asked about Mamdani's pledge to arrest Netanyahu, she said she did not believe Netanyahu should be arrested based on charges issued by the International Criminal Court at The Hague, and that the mayor did not have the authority to order the NYPD to do so [10].

On the question of state policy toward the BDS movement, she said her administration "strongly supported the state policy on this issue" and had "taken action to protect investments in Israel in the past" [10]. Asked about Mamdani's spokesperson's statement framing an Upper East Side protest at a synagogue as a response to events at a sacred space "in violation of international law," Hochul said she did not "agree with that assessment", adding that the worshippers had been subjected to abhorrent behavior [10].