The Final Countdown
With days to go before Election Day, Governor Kathy Hochul held an event for her election campaign to incentivize young people to get out and vote. If elected, she would be the first woman elected to the office of governor in New York State’s history.
The event, held at Columbia’s Barnard College, got off to a rocky start when credentialed members of the press were initially refused entry by staff. Many of the invited press left, but due to the diligence and diplomacy on the part of the New York Press Photographer’s Association, some of the press were admitted.
Some 250 students were in attendance; in support of Governor Hochul’s campaign, Vice President Kamala Harris, Attorney General Letitia James, former Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, and Senator Chuck Schumer gave speeches to rally the youth, who historically have low turnout at the polls.
While Clinton focused on abortion rights, James focused on motivating the members of the audience to gather in larger numbers and vote-two issues that have been heavily focused on by the Hochul campaign. However, Hochul herself skirted the issue of rising crime in the city, a point of contention between her campaign and Republican Candidate Lee Zeldin’s campaign, instead focusing on gun control-a matter which has been her primary talking point since she enacted stricter gun legislation following the mass shooting in Buffalo, her hometown.
Finally, when Kamala Harris spoke, she highlighted the accomplishments of female politicians, and what the future holds for women. She further emphasized the importance of going out to vote, following the theme of the rally. Following the event, Harris stayed to greet attendees, shake hands, and answer questions.
Election Day is Tuesday, November 8th.
Story by Emily Cotler