Gov. Kathy Hochul put the brakes on Democrats’ plan to rewrite rules for an upstate special election to leave a House seat vacant and hobble Trump’s agenda, sources familiar with negotiations said Monday.
Democrats’ move would have left a safely Republican House seat empty through November as the GOP clings to a razor-thin majority, but Hochul stepped in as she continues high-powered talks with Trump over congestion pricing in Manhattan.
Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, Trump’s pick to be US Ambassador to the United Nations, would vacate her congressional seat when she is confirmed – leaving the GOP with a two-seat majority until a replacement can take office in the red upstate district.
Stefanik is expected to be confirmed, though the White House has not forwarded her for confirmation yet.
Democrats in the state Senate and Assembly introduced legislation on Friday that would delay holding a special election to fill the House District seat until the Nov. 4 general election — keeping the seat vacant for months.
Republicans slammed the Democrats for being hypocritical, engaging in an undemocratic partisan-power play in a bid to try to stymie Trump’s agenda.
“It deprives 800,000 people of representation. This is about thwarting President Trump’s agenda in Congress,” Senate Republican Minority Leader Robert Ortt said during a press conference Monday.
Albany insiders confirmed that Hochul requested the legislature to postpone any action on the bill for the time being while she continues talks with Trump over the controversial $9 toll to enter Manhattan south of 60th Street, which went into effect last month.
One source close to the negotiations said Hochul considers the bill as leverage in her talks with Trump, who is considering killing congestion pricing.
“The bill is definitely on hold while these other conversations on congestion pricing are happening,” a source said.
Hochul’s office declined comment.
Trump told Post columnist Miranda Devine he could rescind the toll approved by the prior Biden Administration through the US Department of Transportation he now controls. But he also noted he’s in conversations with Hochul about the issue.
“I think it’s really horrible, but I want to discuss it with her at this point,” Trump said. “If I decide to do it, I will be able to kill it off in Washington through the Department of Transportation.
GOP sources confirmed that Trump’s confirmation of Stefanik has been slow-walked over concern that her vote may be needed to get his agenda through the razor-thin majority of the House. Party members are concerned if she officially resigns, her seat could be vacant for the months leading up to a special election.
But Republicans also said Hochul is on thin ice and a well-financed lawsuit is already in the works if she and Democratic-run legislature try to keep the seat vacant by waiting until Nov. 4 to hold the special election.
Hochul and the Democratic lawmakers are even getting pilloried by liberal media outlets for even attempting the partisan power play, one GOP House operative noted..
“Hochul is weak politically,” the GOP insider said.
Rep. Mike Lawler and other state Republicans last week sent a formal letter to Trump’s Department of Justice asking for a racketeering probe into Hochul and state legislative leaders over the just shelved legislation to delay the special election for House District 21.
Ortt, the Senate Republican minority leader, said public exposure and pressure forced Hochul and Democrats to abandon their “disgraceful scheme.”
“While this bill appears to be defeated for now, we will remain vigilant against any effort to bring it back,” Ortt said.
“The fact that Democrats even attempted this sham is proof of how corrupt and desperate the Albany swamp has become,” he said. “Senate Republicans will continue to stand up for the people of New York, fight back against these disgraceful attacks, and put the needs of the people, not power-hungry politicians, first.”
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