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NY Democrats were on track to frustrate Trump’s plans. What happened?
By
Jimmy Vielkind
Published Feb 6, 2025
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Mike Groll/Office of Governor Kathy Hochul
By
Jimmy Vielkind
Published Feb 6, 2025
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This column originally appeared in The Politics Brief, our new weekly newsletter on the people, power and policies that shape New Yorkers' lives .
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A quiet push to change New York’s election calendar could have a big effect on national politics. But after outcry from Republicans, the state’s Democratic leaders have pumped the brakes on their own proposal.
The Capitol Pressroom and Gothamist were the first to report Friday about a nascent Democratic plan to give Gov. Kathy Hochul more time to schedule special elections when seats become vacant. According to the New York Times, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a Democrat from Brooklyn, pushed the Democratic governor to change a law that currently requires a special election for Congress within roughly 90 days of a vacancy.
Jeffries has his eye on Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, President Donald Trump’s nominee for ambassador to the United Nations. The proposed changes would postpone an election in her red North Country district until the summer, effectively reducing the GOP’s ranks in the closely divided U.S. House of Representatives.
“This is about playing with politics and denying President Trump a Republican vote in the House to move his agenda forward,” said Republican state Sen. Dan Stec, who is running to succeed Stefanik.
A Jeffries spokesperson didn’t respond to a request for comment. The plan comes as Democrats face frustration from their base as Trump moves aggressively to overhaul the federal government, threatening to pause all federal funding and eliminate entire agencies like USAID and the federal education department.
Democrats who control the state Legislature had planned to vote on the measure this week, according to multiple officials familiar with their strategy. But as the week wore on at the state Capitol, no bill was introduced.
Hochul made the case for reform on Monday, telling reporters that other states have fewer strictures on when a special election is called. Proponents of a change said it would be good to consolidate trips to the polls on the days of already-scheduled elections.
“We’ve had so many special elections which is what actually gives birth to this conversation,” state Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins told reporters. “They can be expensive, voters get fatigued.”
As for when a change could be made, she said only that “we’re talking about it.”
This week in New York politics Listen here:
- Albany is divided over whether and how local authorities should cooperate with federal immigration enforcement
- New York City has started making back payments to several child care centers slated for closure
- Adams wants $1 billion from the state for migrant costs
- A top Canadian diplomat says Trump's tariffs would hit New Yorkers' energy bills
- A new law will let New York doctors leave their names off of abortion medication
- Here are five ways the MTA could get the money it needs to fix its aging infrastructure
- Listen: Brian Lehrer talks to Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand about Trump 2.0.
- Why do people think New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy is harboring an undocumented person on his property? (New York Times)
- Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries try to take aim at Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (Politico)
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Politics
Jimmy Vielkind
Jimmy Vielkind covers how state government and politics affect people throughout New York. He has covered Albany since 2008, most recently as a reporter for The Wall Street Journal. Jimmy led a team of reporters that won a New York Press Club award for coverage of Andrew Cuomo’s downfall and was on a team that won a Gerald Loeb Award for coverage of Amazon’s HQ2 process. A native of the Capitol Region, Jimmy has two degrees in urban planning. His position is funded by a grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Reach Jimmy at [email protected].
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