Hochul to Black Church Congregation: Don’t Spend Rebate Checks at the Liquor Store

Governor Kathy Hochul is facing backlash after remarks she made to a predominantly Black congregation in Buffalo about how residents should use their inflation rebate checks.

While addressing worshippers at True Bethel Baptist Church on East Ferry Street this past Sunday, Hochul noted that rebate checks included in the state’s $254 billion budget would soon be sent out, with some families receiving up to $400. She urged people to use the funds wisely, saying, “We collected more in sales tax. I said, ‘That’s not my money. That’s their money,’ you people across the state of New York. Checks are coming out soon. Watch the mail, OK? OK? Don’t spend it all one day. Get something you really need, OK? Don’t stop by the liquor store, OK? Buy something for the kids, buy them some food.” She went on to add: “Sometimes I have to stop by the liquor store, too. I understand. It’s all right. It’s all right.”

The comments quickly drew fire from critics who labeled them racially insensitive. On Tuesday, after an event in New York City, Hochul responded by saying her words were intended as a lighthearted joke about the stress families face.

“I wasn’t making any generalization about any particular community, at all,” Hochul explained. She acknowledged, however, that the phrasing was “not the best way to talk about” the rebate program. “My intention is never to offend anybody in that context, and I regret that that is the takeaway for some people. So, I’ll leave it at that.”

Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado, who has announced plans to challenge Hochul in the 2026 Democratic primary, posted a video response on X while getting his hair cut in Syracuse. Quoting the governor’s “liquor store” line, Delgado, who is Black and Latino, said the remarks showed “bias” and a “disconnect.” He also pointed to Hochul’s 2024 statement at the Milken Institute Global Conference in California, when she said: “Right now, we have young Black kids growing up in the Bronx who don’t even know what the word computer is. They don’t know. They don’t know these things.”

At the time, Hochul walked back those remarks, saying she had misspoken. Delgado argued the two incidents reveal a troubling pattern: “That’s a pattern, and it’s racist. It reduces whole communities to harmful stereotypes and strips away the dignity of parents and children alike. Words matter, especially when they come from the highest office in our state.”

Representative Elise Stefanik, a Republican from Saratoga County and strong ally of former President Donald Trump, also criticized Hochul’s comments. In an email to reporters, Stefanik’s campaign said Hochul displayed a “disturbing pattern of racial insensitivity.” The statement argued, “First, Hochul said Black kids don’t know what a computer is. Next, she assumes the Black community is full of alcoholics who will blow inflation checks on liquor. If a Republican said this in front of a Black church, Al Sharpton and Democrats would demand apologies and resignations. Hochul should apologize for insulting the African American community not once, but twice now.”

At Sunday’s service, Hochul praised church leaders Rev. Darius Pridgen and his son Rev. Craig Pridgen, along with local Democratic officials, including Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes, Council Majority Leader Leah Halton-Pope, and Council Member Rasheed Wyatt.

Peoples-Stokes later issued a statement saying Hochul’s choice of words “could have been worded better,” but emphasized that the congregation understood her underlying message about spending rebate funds responsibly.

“From my point of view, the remark was meant to be instructive,” she said. “The remark could’ve been made at any house of worship at any time. Unlike others, I was there that morning for services, so it is disappointing to hear other people, who were not in attendance, make accusations and try to be divisive for their own political gain.”

Hochul to Black Church Congregation: Don’t Spend Rebate Checks at the Liquor Store