National Democrats are set to rally in Brooklyn on Thursday as they seek to aid Gov. Kathy Hochul in her bid to win a full, four-year term.
The rally is set to include Vice President Kamala Harris and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as New York Democrats seek to counter any suggestion that Republicans are gaining steam in an otherwise heavily Democratic state.
The Republican ticket, led by Rep. Lee Zeldin, is expected to hold its own large rally in Rensselaer County on Thursday evening with Rep. Elise Stefanik, the No. 3 Republican in the House of Representatives.
The dueling events come as both parties are making their final efforts to turn out their respective bases before next Tuesday's election. Republicans hope they are within striking distance of winning a statewide office for the first time since 2002. Democrats are trying to retain all levers of statewide power they currently hold.
New York Democratic Committee Chairman Jay Jacobs in a news conference on Wednesday pointed to early voting turnout and the rate of absentee ballot returns as a sign the party's voters were engaged with the election in a season that has shown Republicans increasingly polling well across the country.
"We are continuing to do our job. This red wave that I'm hearing about we haven't seen," Jacobs said. "Of course there'll be a lot more votes cast on Election Day. And we're going to do everything we can between now and Election Day, as I said before, to bring in every possible vote that we can."
Meanwhile, Eleanor's Legacy, a statewide organization that backs Democratic women who support abortion rights, has launched a "GOTV Emergency Fund" to aid Hochul's campaign.
“Every vote is crucial and will make a difference in this race. With abortion rights on the ballot, this election is too high stakes to leave anything to chance," said Sophie Nir, the group's executive director. "We are proud to launch this fund, doubling our financial commitment to Governor Hochul, to the pro-choice women running for office all around the state, and to the people of New York whose freedom is on the line.”
Still, Republicans hope they have a chance to win the race. Republican Chairman Nick Langworthy in a video to donors on Wednesday called the election "a once every-20-years opportunity."
"We're on the precipice of historic change, but only if we work harder than ever before to get Lee Zeldin and our entire Republican team across the finish line," he said.