Gov. Kathy Hochul is heading to Puerto Rico this week for the annual SOMOS conference, but she will not host her customary gala at the island’s governor’s residence after endorsing Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman in the governor’s race.
Hochul’s SOMOS gathering is scheduled for Thursday evening at the Antiguo Casino de Puerto Rico, according to insiders.
For the past two years, Hochul has avoided meeting with Puerto Rico’s first female governor, Republican Jenniffer González-Colón.
Earlier this year, Hochul endorsed Blakeman after he traveled to Puerto Rico in May for a political fundraiser.
The endorsement was organized in part by Brock Pierce, a longtime ally of former New York City Mayor Eric Adams and a former child television star.
Pierce, the former “Mighty Ducks” child actor who became a cryptocurrency billionaire, contributed $143,000 of his own money to support the Republican’s campaign.
RELATED: Russia Suspected in Bomb Threat Hoaxes That Grounded UK Planes
According to insiders, the effort was aimed at strengthening Blakeman’s standing among Puerto Rico’s Hispanic community.
More than 1 million Puerto Ricans live in New York, with nearly three-quarters residing in New York City.
For decades, New York governors, state officials and city representatives have traveled to San Juan in the days following the November elections. There, they take part in a boozy political conference attended by union leaders, lobbyists, advocates and nearly every elected official.
Hochul previously held her SOMOS party at La Fortaleza, the governor’s residence, before González-Colón was elected in 2024.
Hochul’s final public appearance is scheduled for Saturday morning, when she is expected to attend the annual labor breakfast.
After the conference ends, however, she plans to remain on the island for additional private time with her family, according to insiders.
