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Former GOP governor heads to Capitol Hill before election count is complete: 'Already at work'
Former Republican Gov. Paul LePage of Maine is in Washington this week after declaring victory in his congressional race, even as the state’s ranked-choice count continues.
LePage narrowly edged out Democratic rival Matt Dunlap, and last week declared victory in the race for Maine's Second Congressional District. Dunlap conceded on Thursday, Nov. 5.
The mostly rural seat is the largest congressional district east of the Mississippi River by area and was won by President Donald Trump in all three of his presidential elections.
The apparent victory by LePage would be the only flip from blue to red by House Republicans in a non-redistricted seat in the midterm elections. And it would be rare good news for the GOP after getting trampled by a blue wave that saw Democrats storm back to grab a large House majority as well as recapture the Senate.
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Even though Dunlap conceded to LePage last week, a ranked-choice count kicked off Monday morning. That's because while LePage topped Dunlap by more than 5,000 votes, he fell short of grabbing a majority, which would have prevented ranked-choice voting. According to the Maine Secretary of State, LePage received 49.894% of the total votes cast in the 2nd District race.
LePage was in the nation's capital as ranked choice voting got underway.
"Paul is already at work in Washington D.C. while the perfunctory process plays out back home. Just like our opponent, who conceded, we are confident in the outcome," longtime LePage campaign strategist Brent Littlefield told Fox News Digital.
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The former governor is expected to take part Tuesday in a scheduled vote by returning GOP congressional lawmakers and newly elected House Republicans to choose the next minority leader in the race between current House Majority Leader Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana and Judiciary Chair Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio. Outgoing House Speaker Mike Johnson decided against a bid to lead the House Republicans following the GOP's crushing ballot-box setback.
Asked how he succeeded when so many Republicans went down to defeat last week, LePage pointed to "my brand."
"I've been governor twice. I've won this district now for the fourth time... My brand. People know me and people trust me and know what I'll say, I'll do," LePage said in a Fox News Digital interview last Wednesday in Bangor, Maine after declaring victory.
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Looking ahead, LePage said "hopefully there's still some commonsense in the Democratic Party down there and I hope that I can work with them."
But pointing to far-left Democrats aligned with the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), LePage argued, "I think we have to rid ourselves of DSA Democrats."
And he said that Republicans and non-DSA Democrats "have to work together because DSA is a poison for this country."
California police probe 'suspicious circumstances' after nearly 20 hospitalized following half-marathon
Police in California are investigating "suspicious circumstances" after nearly 20 people were hospitalized following a half-marathon, with several runners reporting "unusual symptoms."
Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital alerted police after several runners from Sunday's half-marathon came in "seeking medical treatment for unusual symptoms" following the race, the Santa Barbara Police Department said in a news release, according to CBS Los Angeles.
"The cause of the reported symptoms has not been confirmed," police said. "There is no specific action recommended for the public at this time; however, participants who feel unwell should seek medical attention and follow guidance from healthcare professionals."
Police said those hospitalized either arrived on their own or were transported by ambulance.
A spokesperson for Cottage Health said in a statement to the outlet that the number of emergency visits from the half-marathon was larger than expected.
"We have a larger than expected number of emergency visits that are tracked to participants of this morning's organized run in SB," Cottage Health said. "This morning 19 patients arrived at Cottage EDs, a number of them with similar symptoms of undetermined cause."
The hospital spokesperson said they are still trying to determine if the symptoms were caused by heat or other factors.
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A spokesperson for the group who organized the half-marathon said they believe the hospitalizations were heat related, according to ABC 7.
"At this time, we have no reason to believe that there was anything out of the ordinary that occurred during today's race, besides typical heat-related illness or exhaustion that can take place while participating in long endurance events such as a half marathon," the spokesperson said.
According to the Los Angeles Times, around 7,500 people participated in the half-marathon.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Santa Barbara Police Department, Cottage Health and race organizers for comment.
Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving lead Dallas Mavericks against Pacers missing Tyrese Halliburton tonight
The NBA has a solid schedule Monday night with multiple great games. We see Luka go to Atlanta - a place he seems to have a grudge against because they traded him on draft night - and we have two of the best teams in basketball squaring off, with the Nuggets and Rockets taking each other on. Virtually everyone on the Nuggets is on the injured list, so I am going to take a different game. Tonight, we are looking at the Pacers vs. Mavs game as our play of the night.
The Indiana Pacers are two years removed from going to Game 7 of the NBA Finals. They couldn't pull it off as Oklahoma City took them down. In that same series, Tyrese Halliburton tore his Achilles. That made all of last year essentially a waste of time for them. He missed the entire season, and the Pacers were one of the worst teams in the league. He returned to action this season and is sitting at 3-7 for the season and they are 3-2 for the year on the road.
Halliburton is once again out for the game because of a hamstring injury. Unfortunately for them, TJ McConnell is a game-time decision because of a hamstring issue of his own. Winning in the NBA is incredibly difficult. Winning without a point guard is even more difficult. Look at teams like the Suns from a few years ago, the Mavs from last season, or even look at all the teams that added Chris Paul and the success he brought to them. The Pacers have lost four of their past five games, but they do have a rest advantage tonight.
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The Dallas Mavericks are a few more years past their Finals loss, but this team looks significantly different. They traded away Doncic, and while that was one of the most perplexing decisions of all time (and I'm still convinced, orchestrated by the NBA), they did end up with Cooper Flagg who might be the second-best asset in the entire league. To be clear, that doesn't mean he is the second-best player in the league, but Flagg has been outstanding in his first season and at the beginning of this year. I'm not sure that he would be traded for anyone outside of Victor Wembanyama.
Dallas is 6-4 , with all of its wins coming at home. This is their third game in four nights, and it is part of a back-to-back. The Mavericks won both of their past two games very comfortably, though. They beat Utah by 12, and they beat Brooklyn yesterday by almost 40. That's the kind of win you want the day before playing again. Dallas has been solid against the bad teams in the league (their losses have been against the Spurs (twice), the Rockets, and once to the Kings). The Kings loss is the only one that is a bit of a head-scratcher.
The Mavs are one of the better teams in the league, but I am curious about which players will be available for both teams. It does appear that Kyrie Irving and Flagg will be available. In fact, it seems like all of their players are going to be available. The Mavs have a solid bench, and overall, the team is stronger than the Pacers. The last time the two teams played, the Mavs won by 16, and there was a hard foul on Flagg. I think that gives the Mavs extra motivation. I think the Mavs have too many edges in this one to pass up. Give me Dallas -3.5.
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Senate GOP rebels move to delay leadership vote, demand reckoning after midterm disaster
Last week’s pummeling on Election Night has a cohort of Senate Republicans wanting to take stock as lawmakers return to Washington, D.C.
The Senate GOP is slated to hold its leadership elections Tuesday morning, where Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., is expected to seek another term as top Republican.
But a small group led by Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., wants to delay the leadership elections to debrief after last week’s stunning losses and chart a path forward heading into the minority. Senate Democrats flipped the chamber by clinching 54 seats, and that number could grow depending on the outcomes in Mississippi and Alaska.
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Johnson, in a letter obtained by Fox News Digital to Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., the conference chair for the Senate GOP, argued the election should be delayed "until we all have a chance to hear from leadership candidates as to what type of collaborative conference governing model we should adopt and what our strategy will be to counter the emboldened Democrats."
"Tuesday's result was a stunning defeat, and there are multiple reasons for it," Johnson wrote. "We need to have serious discussions within our conference as to what we can do to improve the outcome in 2028."
"Holding leadership elections without engaging in a robust discussion and evaluation of how those running for leadership intend to lead would be political malpractice," he continued. "It is certainly not the way leadership elections should be conducted in the world's greatest deliberative body."
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The Senate GOP’s rules do allow for the consideration of such a delay, as long as Johnson can get five signatures on his letter, and he did, securing Sens. Rick Scott, R-Fla., John Kennedy, R-La., Ted Budd, R-N.C., and Mike Lee, R-Utah, as his base of support.
"We first need to digest what happened last week and make plans to move forward," Lee said on X. "Turning to leadership elections Tuesday morning would put the cart before the horse."
Others who didn’t sign onto the letter, like Sens. David McCormick, R-Pa., and Jim Banks, R-Ind., similarly want to take a beat before casting their votes for the leadership structure.
"Our conference needs to sit down and have a frank discussion about where we fell short, what we stand for, and what we’re going to do for the working families who sent us here," Banks said in a statement.
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But Republican leadership had already planned for a meeting heading into the elections, and part of Thune’s popularity among Republicans is his willingness to take feedback from lawmakers rather than "rule with an iron fist," a GOP aide told Fox News Digital.
Whether trying to slow down leadership elections turns into a shake-up in the Senate GOP’s power structure remains in the air, even with conservative voices outside the Senate calling for Thune to step aside.
So far, Thune is expected to run unopposed for another term and still remains popular among the conference. Possible challengers, like Scott, have already said they wouldn’t mount a bid against him.
"I don’t want to run again. I’ve run twice," Scott said on Fox News’ "Saturday in America."
When pressed if he would support Thune, however, Scott said, "We’ll see what happens."
"We’ll see who else is going to run," he said. "I don’t know if somebody else is going to run."
Men and women who smoke marijuana may experience different effects, study suggests
Men who use cannabis occasionally may feel stronger effects from the drug than women with similar use habits, new research suggests.
The UCLA Health study, published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology, included 44 healthy adults between the ages of 21 and 55, evenly split between men and women. Researchers divided participants based on whether they used cannabis frequently or occasionally.
Each participant took part in three separate sessions: smoking cannabis with no THC, a lower amount of THC or a higher amount. They did not know which one they were receiving at the time.
MARIJUANA USERS MAY FACE HIDDEN DRIVING DANGER THAT STANDARD TESTS CAN MISS
Among those who used cannabis occasionally, men reported feeling more high, sedated and impaired than women with similar use habits, according to the study.
The men also reported more unpleasant effects, including anxiety, and their heart rate rose significantly after using active cannabis.
Blood THC levels alone did not appear to explain the difference.
Men and women who used cannabis occasionally had similar peak THC levels, even though the men reported stronger effects, researchers found.
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The pattern was different among people who used cannabis more often. Men and women in the frequent-use group generally responded similarly to active cannabis.
Frequent users were also more likely than occasional users to say they liked the effects, wanted to use cannabis again and chose to take more during the study, regardless of gender.
The findings challenge some previous research suggesting women may be more sensitive to the effects of cannabis.
"Much of what we thought we knew about sex differences in cannabis effects came from animal research and from human studies that pooled data from different trials," Dr. Ziva Cooper, the study's principal investigator and director of the UCLA Center for Cannabis and Cannabinoids, said in a press release.
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"When we designed a study to look at sex and frequency of use at the same time, and controlled for hormones, the picture changed," she added.
The researchers controlled for menstrual cycle timing among the women in the study, who were not using hormonal birth control.
The findings suggest that a person's cannabis habits may be important when considering how men and women respond to the drug.
"Sex and cannabis use history can both shape how someone experiences the effects of cannabis," lead author Dr. Stephanie Lake, a researcher at the UCLA Center for Cannabis and Cannabinoids, said in the release.
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"Studying both together is key to understanding who is most at risk of higher-risk, unpleasant or beneficial experiences from cannabis."
There were several limitations to the findings, the researchers acknowledged.
The study was small, with just 44 participants, and several of the findings involving occasional male users came from exploratory analyses, meaning they need to be confirmed in larger studies.
The cannabis used in the experiment contained 4% or 10% THC, which researchers noted is weaker than many cannabis products sold today, where THC levels are commonly 20% or higher.
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Researchers said larger studies are needed to better understand whether men and women develop tolerance to cannabis differently and how those differences could affect the risk of cannabis use disorder.
Fox News Digital reached out to the researchers for comment.
College football sells another piece of its soul with CFP officially expanding to 24 teams
It's official, the College Football Playoff is expanding to 24 teams.
After just three years with twelve teams, the CFP committee and ESPN have agreed to a new deal that will see an increase to the number of teams allowed into the postseason tournament.
The move will also signal the end of conference championship games for a majority of the leagues around the sport, with ESPN having to pay for these games to go away to make room for the expanded playoff.
The five-year deal is worth nearly $1.7 billion, which was first reported by ESPN.
There have been ongoing discussions between the network and the CFP over when the right time would be for a move. At first, there was a growing consensus that a move to 16 teams could be in the works for a number of years before making the full transition to 24 teams.
But, money talks, and after the network said they would take care of the costs that come with the elimination of conference title games for the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten and SEC, the decision was made to move forward with an additional 24 teams starting in 2027.
"The Southeastern Conference announced today that the 2026 SEC Football Championship Game will be the final edition of the event," the SEC said in a statement. "The decision coincides with the College Football Playoff’s expansion to a 24-team format.
"The 2026 SEC Football Championship Game, to be played on December 5 in Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, will be the 35th edition of the game that began in 1992."
While the Power-4 conferences have released statements about their title games, the Group of Six conferences are still deciding.
No, this is not a popular move for fans of the sport, with former Alabama head coach Nick Saban recently making some strong comments against the idea of having that many teams competing for a national championship on a yearly basis.
"Too many. There’s not 24 teams in the country that can win a National Championship," Nick Saban told the Kelce brothers on the New Heights podcast. "So, what is the reason to actually do it? It’s about the money. What you’re giving up, which I hate to see, the SEC Championship Game, playing in the SEC Championship was a big thing for our players, it was a big thing to our fans. It was a tradition and it was a great venue.
"I mean, there’s only two teams who can play in a National Championship, but more teams can play in those kind of championship games. There’s a lot of pride in winning the conference championship."
It was only a matter of time before the postseason would be expanded again. And to think just 10 months CFP leaders were discussing a 4-team increase.
Following the national championship game to conclude the 2026 season in Las Vegas, there will be a new era in the sport that seems to just love changing things on a consistent basis.
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No, there was no need for the quick-trigger to help change the sport of college football once again, but it always feels as though money wins in these situations.
Here are the key bullet points to the new expansion.
Sure, there will be plenty of folks that argue conference title games have lost their luster. To that point, I would say look at the chaotic 2026 season and ramifications that are being seen with leagues across the country who are depending on a conference title game to secure their spot in the postseason, like the ACC and Big 12.
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Yes, the money is needed across athletic departments that are struggling to stay afloat in this new era of NIL and revenue-sharing.
But, just making the 24-team playoff is not going to bring job security to coaches across the country moving forward. You can't hang a banner for being the 23rd ranked team in the sport, and you darn sure can't preach success to your donors and fans.
We all knew this was coming at some point. And, there is no guarantees that it will stop with 24 teams.
Do you honestly think that the same group of people who just agreed to a massive television contract with ESPN are not already thinking about expanding the playoff to 32 teams in 2032 or 36 teams in 2037?
Universities across the country got what they wanted at the expense of college football logic, with the almighty dollar winning at the end of the day.
Secret Service arrests two after car crash and barricade breach outside White House
Police arrested two people outside the White House in separate incidents on Monday near Lafayette Square Park.
Video from the park circulating on social media shows a vehicle that appeared to run into a barrier, with the engine emitting smoke. Authorities say the driver was "combative" with law enforcement and was arrested.
"Just before 10:00 a.m., Secret Service Police and National Guard responded to the north side of Lafayette Park at 16th Street and H Street, NW, where a vehicle crashed onto the sidewalk. The driver was combative with law enforcement, but was quickly placed under arrest," a Secret Service spokesperson said in a statement.
"MPD’s Explosive Ordinance Disposal team has been called to sweep the vehicle as a precaution. Subsequently, roads around Lafayette Park have been closed," the statement continued.
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"Around the same time, a second individual jumped a barricade near the northwest corner of Lafayette Park. That individual was also quickly placed under arrest," it added.
The Secret Service briefly moved reporters and the press inside the White House briefing room after the incident, but they have since been released.
Authorities say both incidents are currently under investigation.
The arrests come just days after authorities arrested an illegal immigrant from Venezuela outside the White House on Thursday.
The Department of Homeland Security says officers found the man inside a stolen vehicle carrying multiple guns and threatening to kill President Donald Trump.
U.S. Secret Service officers approached the suspect Thursday evening after spotting him "acting suspicious in his car while it was parked on Constitution Avenue in Washington, D.C.," DHS told Fox News.
The suspect told officers he had heard voices in his head telling him to travel to the nation's capital and kill Trump, DHS said.
Officers subsequently learned that the vehicle had been reported stolen, and the suspect admitted to having weapons inside, according to DHS.
A search of the vehicle reportedly turned up three guns, including an AR-15-style rifle and two handguns, along with dozens of rounds of ammunition.
SECRET SERVICE DETAINS, QUESTIONS INDIVIDUAL WHO DROVE VEHICLE INTO BARRICADE NEAR WHITE HOUSE
The suspect was identified as Ronny Yordrix Guanipa Chrinos, who illegally entered the country through Texas in March 2024 and was subsequently arrested by U.S. Border Patrol, according to officials.
He was later released into the country under the Biden administration, authorities said.
After his arrest, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) lodged a detainer for Chrinos with the U.S. Marshals Service, which currently has custody of Chrinos.
The U.S. Secret Service said the incident reflects a growing threat posed by armed individuals "drawn to the White House complex."
Blue state repeat offender accused of murdering wife at family’s home months after domestic violence charge
A California father is facing a raft of charges after prosecutors allege he stabbed and killed his wife after he was bailed out of jail on previous domestic violence charges.
The repeat offender, Thomas John Iovenitti, 40, of Concord is accused of murdering his wife, Alisha Iovenitti, 39, in the family's home last month.
The mother of three leaves behind 9-year-old twins and a 10-year-old son, according to an online fundraiser for the children.
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Concord Police responded to a 911 call in which a "caller reported a disturbance between a man and a woman. The man was reported to be armed with a knife," police said.
It happened Friday, Oct. 23, just after 8 p.m.; officers forced their way into the family's home after repeated attempts to contact anyone inside. Once inside, they discovered a man and woman with several stab wounds.
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The woman, later identified by prosecutors as Iovenitti's wife, died at the scene despite life-saving efforts by paramedics.
Prior to his wife's killing, Iovenitti was released from jail for a pending case where he "was charged with assault with a deadly weapon and assault by means of force likely to produce great bodily injury, corporal injury to a spouse, and false imprisonment," according to the Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office.
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He was arrested on charges related to the previous incident in May.
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Days after his arrest, the DA said a judge set Iovenitti’s bail at $1,000 and "issued stay-away orders barring him from contacting his wife or returning to the family’s residence."
As for the couple's children, they are being cared for by family and close friends.
"The family unit is working tirelessly together to give them a stable home, counseling, and routines that feel normal again," the fundraiser said.
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Their father is in custody without bail.
If Iovenitti is convicted, he could face a maximum sentence of 29 years to life in prison.
He is scheduled to appear in court on Thursday.
Bills vs Vikings in Week 9 showdown as Josh Allen chases another touchdown at -120 odds
It was another fun week of football. I went 1-1 yesterday, but with a win on Thursday, I'm now searching for a 3-1 week. And, honestly, yesterday's loss was rather frustrating because the Bears were leading by double digits multiple times.
Then, all of a sudden, the Bears started looking terrible, and the Buccaneers kept coming back. That's gambling for ya. In any case, we get one more game tonight between the Bills and Vikings before we close the chapter on Week 9.
The Buffalo Bills are 6-1 for the season and have looked like the Super Bowl-contending team that we all expected. Josh Allen might be playing the best football of his career. Allen has thrown for 11 touchdowns this season and is averaging over 250 yards per game through the air. More impressive is the running game for Allen. He has nine touchdowns this season on the ground and is averaging about 40 yards per game. His nine touchdowns are good for second in the NFL, only behind D'Andre Swift.
The Bills have put together a great campaign to this point. They've averaged 33 points per game this season, but they've only won two games by more than one score. That makes me a bit concerned about how good this defense is. If their offense essentially can't be stopped, their defense has to be the weak point. They beat Houston by five, then the Chargers by eight, the Rams by three, the Raiders by three, and lost to the Patriots. The Bills are decent against the run, but I think teams just don't run as much against them because they have to play from behind so often.
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The Minnesota Vikings are also 6-1 this season. If the Vikings somehow had Allen on their team, they would probably have a perfect season and win the Super Bowl. Hell, if they traded for Justin Herbert, they might have a perfect season. Their quarterback play has been rough this season. The team has thrown for just under 1,300 yards. They have eight touchdown passes and three interceptions. To make matters worse, they only have three touchdowns on the ground. No one respects their passing game, so the running backs have very little room to operate.
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The team is built around a strong defense - one that does allow yards to opponents, but doesn't score. They are the definition of a bend but don't break defense. They are allowing opponents 116.7 yards on the ground and just 154.9 through the air. If the opposing offense has to run the ball and can't get explosive plays through the air, it keeps it a low-scoring game. Allowing just 13.3 points per game to opponents is impressive, but the offense is averaging 20.0 points per game.
I really don't have a great feel for this game. I like the Bills to win it, but I'm not sold that they will cover the spread. As for the total, I think the Bills can put up 28 or more points, but the Vikings haven't allowed anyone to score more than 22 points this season. I don't have a good read on the total either.
One thing I will bet, and I do basically every week, is that Josh Allen will score a touchdown. He is at -120 to score, I'm going to bet on Allen to score tonight.
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Kathy Hochul entertains massive political promotion as Democrats look ahead to 2028
Fresh off her re-election victory, Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is not ruling out a spot on the 2028 Democratic presidential ticket as the party begins looking toward the next White House race.
When asked by The New York Times what her response would be if a 2028 Democratic presidential hopeful was seeking a running mate, Hochul indicated she would be open to the idea.
"I will say this," Hochul said. "I didn’t get to where I am by slamming doors."
Hochul's comments come as Democrats begin looking toward the 2028 presidential election, with several high-profile figures floated as potential contenders, including former Vice President Kamala Harris, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro.
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The Democratic governor, however, also emphasized that her current priority is "fighting" on behalf of New Yorkers as governor.
"So, as someone who has the support of the people of my state — and they know I’m fighting for them for the next four years, I’m going to keep doing that," Hochul told the NYT.
"Look at our initiatives on universal childcare," she added. "People saw the broad appeal of that. I want to become a national voice on that issue as well, and how other states can do it."
Hochul's office did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
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"Clearly she [Hochul] hasn’t been in the discourse with more nationally prominent Democrats around the country, but I wouldn’t take that as a disadvantage," Isaac Goldberg, a New York-based Democratic strategist, told the NYT.
Hochul's comments come after she defeated Republican candidate Bruce Blakeman in New York's gubernatorial race on Tuesday, securing 59.7% of the vote to Blakeman's 40.1%, according to estimates from the AP.
Hochul said in a Wednesday X post in response to her election victory that she "will always believe in New York" because she knows "our best days are ahead."
Hochul suggested at Politico’s New York Agenda: Albany Summit in March that Democrats have a "deep bench" of "highly qualified" governors who could make presidential bids in 2028.
"We are so damn lucky," Hochul said at the summit. "We have the deepest bench I’ve seen in years of highly qualified individuals that have been battle tested. Maybe I have a bias toward governors, but they’re all my friends."
Hochul has long been an outspoken critic of President Donald Trump, including during his second term. She also accused Trump's Department of Homeland Security of "withholding" millions of dollars in counterterrorism funds for New York state in September.
The Empire State governor notably told Politico in an October interview that she felt "excited" about the prospect of a Democrat-led Congress attempting to stall Trump's agenda via probes and hearings.