Gov. Kathy Hochul is facing backlash after telling parishioners at a predominantly Black church in Buffalo not to use their upcoming state “inflation refund” checks at liquor stores — remarks critics called tone-deaf and demeaning.
“Checks are coming out soon, watch the mail. Don’t spend it all in one day. Get something you really need. Don’t stop by the liquor store. Buy something for the kids. Buy them some food,” Hochul told the congregation at True Bethel Baptist Church on Sunday, later adding that she, too, sometimes stops at the liquor store.
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The comments drew sharp criticism from her estranged Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado, who called them part of a “pattern” of racial insensitivity. “This is not the first time Governor Hochul has demeaned Black communities with her words,” he said, pointing to her 2024 remark that “some young Black kids in the Bronx don’t even know what the word ‘computer’ is.” Delgado added: “That’s a pattern — and it’s racist. Words matter.”
Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) also accused Hochul of being “condescending” and showing a “disturbing pattern of racial insensitivity.” Tuulikki Robertson of The Black Institute said her group was “deeply troubled” by the remarks.
Hochul, pressed about the controversy Wednesday, admitted “it was not the best way” to frame her message, but said she had been making a lighthearted joke in her hometown church, where she’s attended services for decades. “My intention is never to offend anybody … I regret that that is the takeaway for some people,” she said.
State Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes (D-Buffalo), who was present at the service, defended Hochul, saying the congregation understood her point about spending wisely. Bishop Darius Pridgen, who introduced Hochul that day, also said her comments were taken out of context, noting the sermon focused on “personal responsibility.”
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