I half-jokingly call my home state the “People’s Republic of New York” because of the voters’ acquiescence to one-party dominance as a foregone conclusion. There are plenty of reasons for that — some I’ve discussed before — but suffice it to say that these days, Democrats here could run a ham sandwich for high office, and it would still be favored to win.

Once upon a time in 2014, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul was about as well known to voters as that proverbial ham sandwich. When disgraced Gov. Andrew Cuomo chose her as his running mate for lieutenant governor, The New York Times even spelled out her name phonetically in its coverage.

But today, everyone knows Hochul. And lately, she seems to be taking my state moniker literally — consolidating power and sidelining rivals like a strongman before assuming supreme control.

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