Earlier this week, Gov. Kathy Hochul told Lee Zeldin, her Republican opponent for governor, that he doesn’t represent New York’s values and should just move to Florida.

“We’re here to say the era of Trump and Zeldin and Molinaro — just jump on a bus and head down to Florida where you belong, OK?” Hochul said, according to a transcript of the rally and reported first by Spectrum News out of Albany. “Get out of town.”

Of course, we know many people have been doing following Hochul’s advice, we just don’t know their political persuasion. According to data released by the U.S. Census Bureau in December, New York lost 1.58% of its population from July 2020 to July 2021. An analysis by the Pew Charitable Trusts, an independent think tank, released in April found New York’s losses were “primarily because many residents left New York for other states.”

While Hochul’s statement was directed at Zeldin and Marc Molinaro, a Republican from Dutchess County running for Congress, it’s really a shot at the more than 3 million people who are registered Republicans or Conservative Party members in the state who are likely to vote for Zeldin.

Politicians spouting off at each other is part of the political game at this time of year. The rhetoric will only heat up between now and the November election.

The real problem is Hochul going too far, in our opinion, to make her political point. Should the 3 million registered Republicans and Conservatives in New York move? Should they give up beliefs they have held just as long as Hochul has held hers?

Most importantly, should we all remain divided?

In our view, it should be no wonder so many rural New Yorkers support splitting the state into three regions with specific governors and legislators. Hochul, as Cuomo did before her,

Because unspoken by Hochul in her attack on Zeldin and Molinaro is this sentiment — our divisions are so strong that you’re better off moving away than expecting Hochul and the Democrats who control the levers of state power to consider the thoughts and opinions of most rural New Yorkers.