Gov. Kathy Hochul is trying to seize the political reins of the state Democratic party, taking credit for directing funding and opening 35 new campaign offices in congressional battleground districts ahead of the fall elections. 

It’s part of a so-called “coordinated campaign” between state and national Democrats — a $5 million effort geared toward backing two Democratic incumbents and five candidates running in seven districts, according to a party memo shared with NY1. 

“The path to the U.S. House majority runs through the Empire State, and this November, the New York State Democratic Party (NY Dems) will lead the charge to turn the House blue,” reads the five-page document. 

The collaboration between Hochul, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and state party Chairman Jay Jacobs has already hired 65 staffers, according to the memo, and plans to hire 80 staff by mid-August.

The party is also on track to open 35 campaign field offices covering cities, towns and counties in Long Island’s 1st, 3rd and 4th congressional districts, the Hudson Valley’s 17th, 18th and 19th districts, and the 22nd district in Central New York.

“I look forward to helping all of them with the resources, the boots on the ground,” Hochul previously promised.

But the move also follows displeasure over New York’s poor midterm performances back in 2022, when the GOP flipped four congressional seats held by Democrats, including Sean Patrick Maloney in NY-17, Tom Suozzi in NY-3, Kathleen Rice in NY-4 and Antonio Delgado in NY-18.

Then, Hochul ran at the top of the Democratic ticket, seeking her first elected term as governor. She was criticized by former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-California) for failing to address the crime issue in New York, according to an interview in the New York Times.

New York has 26 members in the US House of Representatives, divided between 10 Republicans and 16 Democrats.