Rep. Tom Suozzi of Long Island faces significant barriers to winning the Democratic primary for governor, but his chances might improve in the coming months as he campaigns alongside his running mate Diana Reyna. The former Brooklyn deputy borough president is aiming to become the first Latina ever elected to statewide office by adding her voice to his calls for political centrism in a party that has a vocal left wing.
Their joint efforts to get on the ballot for the June 28 primary officially kicked off earlier this week following an event in Midtown Manhattan attended by approximately 1,000 people. This comes a week after the Democratic state convention where Gov. Kathy Hochul got the formal backing of party insiders as their preferred 2022 nominee against the Republicans. That is the latest sign of the disadvantages Suozzi and Reyna face with fundraising, endorsements and polling against Hochul and her running mate, Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin.
