In her fourth State of the State address on Tuesday, Gov. Kathy Hochul pledged to address New Yorkers’ growing concerns over the state’s skyrocketing cost of living and high-profile crimes as a likely tough re-election fight in 2026 looms on the horizon.
Hochul’s roughly hour-long speech, which she delivered at Albany’s Hart Theatre on Jan. 14, appeared, in part, to react to President-elect Donald Trump’s significant gains in the Empire State during last year’s election. While Trump still lost by a healthy margin in November, many voters defected to him, citing challenges like the high cost of everyday items and concerns over New York becoming less safe as the central reasons.
