Hochul kicks Off Term as First Elected Female Gov. of New York

Gov. Kathy Hochul is tackling tough issues across New York State as the first female elected to the office. Hochul’s defeat of Republican challenger Rep.Lee Zeldin keeps her in Albany for four more years.

Gov. Hochul secured her victory durn the state gubernatorial debate, in October. Hochul emphasized her record as governor since taking office in August 2021. She criticized Zeldin for welcoming Trump’s backing as well as his admiration for Trump. Zeldin faulted Hochul for the state’s individual income tax rate, which ranges between 4 and 8.82%. He also blamed Hochul for New York state and New York City crime rates.

New York is among the top 10 states with the highest income taxes. The picture on state and city crime rates is more complex. Statewide, index crime, the eight crimes the FBI combines to produce its top crime index, dropped between 2020 and 2021. Violent crime rose by 7.8% and property crime dropped by 2.2%. In New York City, index crime rose by 5.2%, violent crime rose by 11.3% and property crime rose by 2.9% between 2020 and 2021.