Hochul shifts to defensive mode
Josefa Velasquez
ALBANY—Former congresswoman Kathy Hochul defended her Democratic bona fides on Thursday morning, in the face of criticism from her opponent and the New York Times about her sometimes-conservative record in Congress.
"I never backed down from our core Democratic values: pro-choice, pro-marriage equality, and pro-worker values," she said in a three-minute web video. "I narrowly lost my re-election bid because I wouldn't turn my back on the president and millions of Americans who deserve quality healthcare."
Hochul, who for 19 months representated a conservative-leaning district in the Buffalo area, is running with Governor Andrew Cuomo, and with the full support of the state Democratic Party apparatus.
But Hochul is not well-known statewide—she's running to replace Cuomo's current lieutenant governor, Robert Duffy—and will appear on a separate ballot line from Cuomo in next month's primary, making her uniquely vulnerable to the protest ticket being led by Zephyr Teachout.
http://www.capitalnewyork.com/article/albany/2014/08/8551563/hochul-shifts-defensive-mode