New York Gov. Cathy Call pushed back on Friday against former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s suggestion that Democrats lost the House because the governor’s weak top vote-getter in the Empire State was the reason Democrats lost the House.
“Let me tell you, no governor in the history of New York has worked harder to get a legislator elected than I have,” Call said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.” “I’m going to win on the field because I know how to do it. Now I have a chance to focus on that.”
In an interview with POLITICO on Thursday, Pelosi blamed the call for New York’s narrower-than-expected 2022 gubernatorial victory as a reason Democrats failed to retain their House majority in that year’s election. New York Republicans flipped four seats Democrats had won in the midterms, and critics suggested the call may have been a distraction for lower-ballot candidates.
When Pelosi asked about that claim, the governor flatly replied, “I don’t agree with that.”
The call cited efforts to raise money for New York Democrats and invest it in local counties, as well as ongoing collaboration with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and hundreds of staffers in 35 offices.
Pelosi said she did not speak to Hochul about this year’s race on Thursday, but did discuss it with Jeffries that morning. She stressed the importance of “the three M’s: mobilization, messaging and money.”
Call acknowledged Friday that “since I’m not the candidate this year,” he could be “laser-focused” on key purple districts, including the Hudson Valley, Syracuse, Central New York and Long Island.
“We are going to win this game and we are going to win it hard,” she said.
