New York Times: “Three months after Ms. Hochul’s unexpected ascension as the state’s first female governor, next year’s Democratic primary contest is now veering toward something New York has not seen in decades: a freewheeling intraparty battle among some of the state’s best-known political figures.”

New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) is planning to soon announce she’s running for governor of New York, The City reports.

A new Siena poll in New York finds Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) leads her closest possible Democratic primary opponent by between 14 and 19 points in three possible scenarios.

And this is interesting: “Former President Donald Trump has long been the pol with the lowest favorability rating among New York voters. No more. Trump has a 37-59 percent favorability rating, net 22 points negative. Andrew Cuomo is 33-60 percent, net 27 points negative. And Bill de Blasio is 25-56 percent, net 31 points negative.”

Top aides to then-New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) sought a job in the Biden administration for then-Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) “so they could remove her from the gubernatorial ticket ahead of his planned bid for a fourth term in 2022,” the Washington Post reports.

“Cuomo’s office told Hochul early this year that they wanted… someone with a deeper political pull with minority communities.”

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) has begun to tell people privately that he plans to run for governor next year, the New York Times reports.

New York Times: “Barely a month after she unexpectedly ascended to the governor’s office after Andrew Cuomo’s resignation, Ms. Hochul is quietly revving up an aggressive fund-raising apparatus, seeking to build a formidable financial advantage — at least $10 million in donations by year’s end and as much as $25 million by next summer, donors and advisers say — to discourage or defeat potential rivals in what may be a fierce Democratic primary next year.”

“The governor’s political ramp-up, which has involved hiring a campaign manager and other senior aides, has not gone unnoticed.”

New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) has been holding private talks with advisers and supporters about the possibility of a gubernatorial run, CNBC reports.

New York City mayor Bill de Blasio (D) “has begun calling allies about a prospective run for governor in the wide-open Democratic primary next June,” Politico reports.

A new Co/Efficient poll in New York finds that incoming Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) would hold a small lead over Attorney General Letitia James (D) in a Democratic gubernatorial primary, 28% to 24% with 29% of voters undecided.

NBC Today: “Kathy Hochul, 62, is set to become the first female governor in New York history and the 57th governor overall when she is sworn into office Aug. 24 when Cuomo’s resignation takes effect. She said she plans on running for a full term in next year’s gubernatorial election.”

Said Hochul: “I fully expect to. I’m prepared for this. I’ve led a life working in every level of government from Congress to local government. I am the most prepared person to assume this responsibility, and I’m going to ask the voters at some point for their faith in me again.”

Politico: “The uncertainty has paralyzed much of New York’s Democratic political apparatus. State lawmakers have put their parallel impeachment investigation on a very slow burn. Cuomo has not revisited his pre-scandal pledge to run for a fourth term in 2022. And potential Democratic primary challengers are waiting to see if they’d face a wounded Cuomo, a vindicated Cuomo, or perhaps no Cuomo at all.”

A new Siena poll in New York finds 23% of voters say Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) should resign immediately, 39% say he should serve out his term but not seek re-election, and 33% say he should continue to serve and run for re-election.

Separately, 35% say they are prepared to re-elect Cuomo if he runs, while 56% would prefer “someone else.”

Andrew Giuliani received no support for his bid to be the next governor of New York in a secret vote by local Republican leaders this week, the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle reports.

Instead, the party picked Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY) as their preferred choice.

Olivia Nuzzi: “There is something uncomfortable about Giuliani’s campaign. If you watch him for long enough to ask what might compel a person to do a thing like this, you get the sense that the act of running is one of self-harm, of lashing himself in the void left by his father.”

“Is he out to prove something to Rudy or to show him — show us — what being Rudy’s son has done to him? Does he subconsciously want to hurt Rudy? You can’t tarnish a legacy that’s already been shattered, then lit on fire, then burned to a heap of ash, then sprinkled into the swamp and dissolved into a toxic vapor. Or can you?”

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s (D) reelection campaign is hosting a fundraising event later this month, even as his political future remains uncertain amid multiple probes into the three-term governor, The Hill reports.

A new Siena College poll finds a plurality of New York voters — 49 percent — say Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) should not resign from office.

But a majority of voters — 53 percent — say they prefer voting for someone else rather than re-electing him in 2022.

Nonetheless, a generic Democrat still leads a generic Republican in next year’s gubernatorial race by a 55% to 29%.

“Andrew Giuliani is embracing his familiar last name and ties to former President Donald Trump as he begins his Republican campaign for governor of New York, hoping those connections make him a national presence in the state race,” Bloomberg reports.

Said Giuliani: “They are a part of who I am, right? I mean I worked for four years for President Trump and I am my father’s son.”

He added: “That’s one advantage that I’ll truly be able to bring to this race: We’ll be able to make this a national race and truly be able to fundraise not just in the 62 counties of New York, but in the 50 states of America.”

If you’re a Republican running for governor in New York, making it a national race is the exact opposite strategy you should embrace.

“The truth is from an experience perspective, I may be 35 years old, but you gotta remember, I spent 32 years, parts of 32 years, in politics and in government. I’m the only announced candidate that has spent parts of five decades in politics. So I may look young, but I certainly feel a lot older.”

— Andrew Giuliani (R), in an interview on Fox News, about his run for New York governor.