She may be in denial about the depth of her vulnerabilities in 2026. In the case of Biden, instead of speaking out early, we waited until it was too late.’

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul may have a heavyweight challenge on her hands as Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) hits the road to “embark on a listening tour and find out about the needs of New York state.” Torres said on Wednesday that the Empire State has a “leadership crisis,

Torres has been making inroads in recent months, especially with business interests. The former city councilmember has also been a strong supporter of Israel since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack.

Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) called New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) “the new Joe Biden,” an apparent nod to pushback the president faced for not dropping out of the presidential race despite the slew of figures who called on him to do so earlier this year.

"Waiting until it’s too late gave us a Republican President in 2024 and could give us a Republican Governor in 2026," Torres said. "Let’s avoid repeating history and avoid sleepwalking toward impending disaster and defeat.