New York Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul is set to host an in-person fundraising event next week in her hometown, Buffalo, as she prepares to take over as governor and eyes a 2022 bid to hold on to her new job.
The event is scheduled for Wednesday and will also be an early celebration of her 63rd birthday, CNBC reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
Top tickets are expected to sell for between $2,500 and $5,000, the report said, and there will likely be a separate grassroots donor event on the same day.
It’s possible the fundraiser, which was set up before Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s resignation earlier this week, could be postponed until after Hochul has settled into her new role, CNBC noted.
Interest in attending the fundraiser has swelled in recent days as Cuomo was consumed by a sexual harassment probe that culminated in his resignation, the report added.
The event was initially going to take place on Hochul’s own property in Buffalo, but had to be moved to a larger space to accommodate the outsize crowd seeking to secure influence in the incoming Hochul administration.
Many of those expected to attend the event are Hochul loyalists, CNBC reported.
“These are people that have been with her since the town board. They have been her supporters and friends for a long time,” a person with direct knowledge of the gathering told the outlet.
The event could be key to setting the fundraising tone for Hochul as she prepares to take on potential challengers in the 2022 gubernatorial race.
A representative for Hochul did not return The Post’s request for comment on the reported gathering.
Meanwhile, outgoing New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has not ruled out a 2022 run for the state’s top job and Attorney General Letitia James, whose investigation into sexual harassment allegations against Cuomo led to his resignation, is also seen as a contender for the job.
On Tuesday, James is slated to hold her own fundraiser in Martha’s Vineyard that will be headlined by Spike Lee.
The invitation to the event says the fundraiser at the Academy Award winner’s residence is to “support the re-election” of James as attorney general, despite the speculation around her potential gubernatorial run.
The campaign event has an Olympics theme. Someone who donates or raises $20,000 is honored as a “gold host.” A contributor who donates or raises $10,000 is a silver host and a $5,000 contributor is a bronze host.
James also held a fundraiser in Southampton last Saturday.
A source close to James said the Martha’s Vineyard fundraiser was planned well before the release of the Cuomo report. She’s held fundraisers there in the past.