Hochul and Ritchie Torres bury the hatchet

Torres said Hochul shouldn't run for reelection last year. Now he has her back.

Good afternoon — it’s Monday and Pinot Noir Day.

In today’s CapCon:

• U.S. Rep. Ritchie Torres once said Gov. Kathy Hochul couldn’t win reelection. They’ve now repaired their relationship to unite on a common goal.

• A member of the state Assembly is running for Congress against incumbent U.S. Rep. John Mannion.

• The Parole Board was asked by state Senate Republicans to reject a proposed rule on how to assess the release of minor offenders serving life sentences.

• The bar exam was not paused when a law school student had a heart attack during the test in July. A new bill seeks to prevent a repeat.

• This Week in New York History: Babe Ruth, ‘Beatlemania’ and baseball on Sundays.

Names in today’s CapCon: Kathy Hochul, Ritchie Torres, Rob Rolison, Dean Murray, Donald Trump, John Lemondes, John Salka, John Mannion, Brandon Williams, Marianne Buttenschon, Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn

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Hochul and Rep. Ritchie Torres Monday (New York Governor’s Office)

🗣️ Ritchie Torres says he ‘underestimated’ Hochul, who he sharply criticized last year

After Democrats lost the White House in November, U.S. Rep. Ritchie Torres said the same thing would happen in the 2026 race for New York governor if Gov. Kathy Hochul ran for reelection.

Torres, also a Democrat, said Hochul was “the new Joe Biden” and should drop her run for a second full term after her favorability fell to 36% in late October.

“She may be in denial about the depth of her vulnerabilities as a Democratic nominee,” Torres said. “A Democratic incumbent who is less popular in New York than Donald Trump is in grave danger of losing to a Republican in 2026 — an outcome not seen in 30 years.”

He then spent several months considering a primary challenge against Hochul before signaling last month that he would instead seek reelection.

Hochul hasn’t had much to say about Torres in the intervening months, telling reporters: “I actually don’t care what he’s doing.”

So it was a surprise to see Hochul scheduled to hold a rally with Torres Monday in the Bronx, where they praised each other like none of that had ever happened.