New York Democrat warns Hochul could lose to Republican challenger in 2026

Rep, Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., warned that New York Governor Kathy Hochul could lose a Republican in 2026 if she seeks re-election.

“Let’s avoid repeating history and avoid sleepwalking toward impending disaster and defeat,” Torres wrote on X on Friday. “’Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.’”

Torres, who has represented the Bronx since 2021, referred to Hochul, as the "new Joe Biden." 

"Kathy Hochul is the new Joe Biden. She may be in denial about the depth of her vulnerabilities as a Democratic nominee. 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," Torres, a potential challenger to Hochul, wrote in a post on X. 

“Why did Donald Trump make greater gains in New York than he did elsewhere in America?” he asked via X. “The reasons might have something to do with the poverty of governance in New York,” he wrote in a separ

On Monday, Torres wrote a letter to Hochul blasting the "bureaucrat in DOC [Department of Correction] who authorized the early release" of Ramon Rivera, an eight-time criminal who went on to kill 3 people in New York City after his release.

He also wrote to New York Mayor Eric Adams.

"Those who cannot be entrusted with public safety should no longer be employed by the people of New York," he said, calling for the firing of whoever allowed Ramon back on the streets.