Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Supreme Court gun decision draws party-line response from NY governor candidates
By
Jon Campbell
Published Jun 24, 2022
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Getty Images (6); Shutterstock
By
Jon Campbell
Published Jun 24, 2022
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn New York’s longstanding restrictions on concealed-carry gun permits drew two distinct responses from the state’s major candidates for governor that, like the court itself, fell along ideological lines: The Democrats hated it and the Republicans loved it.
Gov. Kathy Hochul and her two Democratic challengers – New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams and Long Island Rep. Tom Suozzi – all decried Thursday’s 6-3 decision, which struck down the state’s 1911 law requiring gun owners to prove they have a specific need for self-defense in order to receive a permit to carry a concealed weapon in public.
"This is not well-regulated,” Williams said, referencing the Second Amendment’s reference to a well-regulated militia. “It is irresponsible, illogical, and immoral.”
On the Republican side, candidates Lee Zeldin, Andrew Giuliani and Rob Astorino cheered the ruling, painting it as a major victory for Second Amendment rights.
Astorino, the former Westchester County executive who has a concealed carry permit in his home county, said the ruling affirms New Yorkers have a “right to carry firearms for protection.”
“This is a good day for law-abiding New Yorkers, and a lousy day for gun-carrying criminals who have been terrifying defenseless citizens and communities,” he said in a statement.
The fourth Republican candidate, businessman Harry Wilson, issued a statement that didn’t address the ruling but accused Hochul and her predecessor, Andrew Cuomo, of “unconstitutionally restricting the freedoms of law-abiding citizens.”
Hochul responded to the decision minutes after it came down during a previously scheduled news conference in her Manhattan office.
She called the court’s actions “reckless and reprehensible,” and said she’ll call state lawmakers back to the Capitol to dull its effects by passing bills prohibiting guns in “sensitive areas” like schools and the New York City subway system.
“If the federal government will not have sweeping laws to protect us, then our states and our governors have a moral responsibility to do what we can and have laws that protect our citizens because of what is going on – the insanity of the gun culture that has now possessed everyone all the way up to even to the Supreme Court,” Hochul said.
But Hochul’s opponents on both sides of the aisle used the decision to highlight her past gun-friendly positions when she was a member of Congress a decade ago, representing a conservative district in western New York.
That includes a 2011 vote in favor of a bill that would have allowed anyone with a state-issued concealed carry permit to carry their weapon across state lines. (The bill died in the Senate and never became law.)
By [Hochul’s] own logic, her actions then were also reckless and reprehensible.
Rep. Tom Suozzi, a Democratic candidate for governor
“By [Hochul’s] own logic, her actions then were also reckless and reprehensible,” said Suozzi, a Democrat challenging the governor from her right. “That vote is one of the reasons she was endorsed by the NRA and she got an A rating from the NRA.”
Hochul has defended her about-face on gun issues, saying she has “evolved” on the issue as she’s gone on to represent a broader constituency. She now has an F rating from the NRA, and signed a suite of gun-control measures into law earlier this month.
Both Williams and Suozzi said Hochul should call the Legislature back immediately to pass bills in response to the ruling.
None of the gubernatorial candidates’ positions on the ruling came as a surprise. Each were asked about the pending decision multiple times during debates in recent weeks.
Among the Republican candidates, Andrew Giuliani – a former aide to President Donald Trump and son of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani – said the Supreme Court “protected the rights of law-abiding New Yorkers to protect themselves.”
“The answer to violent crime lies in empowering law enforcement and not infringing on our rights as Americans,” Giuliani said in a statement Thursday.
Zeldin said the governor “better not” take action to pass gun-control legislation in response to the court’s decision.
“If Hochul does, it will make it even more likely that I get elected to her position in November, because New Yorkers need and deserve a governor who unapologetically defends freedoms, liberty and the Constitution,” he said.
Early voting for the gubernatorial primaries runs through Sunday. The primary election is Tuesday.
Tagged
Kathy Hochul
primary election
guns
supreme court
Jon Campbell
Jon Campbell covers the New York State Capitol for WNYC and Gothamist. Prior to that, he covered the Capitol for more than a decade for the USA TODAY Network. He has twice earned the Walter T. Brown Memorial Award, an honor given annually by the Legislative Correspondents Association alumni for outstanding state government coverage. Jon grew up in the Buffalo area and graduated from the University at Albany. Got a tip? Email Jon at [email protected] or Signal at JonCampbellNY.90.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
NYC Council to consider earlier Legionella reporting after deadly outbreaks
A bill facing a hearing Monday would require cooling tower owners to notify city health officials when bacteria levels reach a much lower threshold.
By
Catalina Gonella
Published Oct 18, 2026 at 7:36 p.m. ET
Staten Island fire injures 2, but spares historic 'Godfather' church
Dozens of firefighters responded to the blaze, which started in a vacant warehouse. It was contained within three hours.
By
Giulia Heyward
News
Staten Island fire injures 2, but spares historic 'Godfather' church
Dozens of firefighters responded to the blaze, which started in a vacant warehouse. It was contained within three hours.
By
Giulia Heyward
Bail reform remains major issue in NY governor's race, 7 years after it became law
By
Gino Fanelli
NYPD identifies Bronx man, 26, killed in Midtown subway shooting
By
Ryan Kost
,
Elizabeth Kim
and
Phil Corso
Have you seen this Yorkie? NYPD looking for adorable pup dognapped from her Queens home
By
Ryan Kost
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .