The New York State conventions of the Democratic and Republican parties have ended, and the race for Governor has begun. Six months from now you will feel numbed by what is likely to be the most expensive and possibly the most negative race for Governor ever.

The Republicans, of course, will blame all of the problems in New York upon Kathy Hochul. The issues they will hammer on will be “cashless bail,” high electricity costs and restricting hook-ups for natural gas.

Hochul is trying to address these issues and move to a more middle ground, but she and her party are vulnerable on such matters–especially in Upstate New York. The ads, I am sure, will be like those against Hillary Clinton in the 2016 Presidential race when every time Clinton’s name was mentioned, the next word was “Benghazi !” It was, as if Clinton was personally responsible for everything bad then happening in the world.

Hochul’s opponent is Bruce Blakeman, County Executive in Nassau County and now the Republican candidate for Governor. No one around here knows much about Blakeman, but in six months he will be a household word. Hochul’s campaign will focus on Blakeman’s close association with Donald Trump. “Keep Trump and his politics out of New York State. Support Hochul!”

Blakeman and the Republicans will likely try to keep President Trump on the ‘back-burner” during the campaign since his popularity and poll numbers are not good in New York State.

So, this is what the airwaves, newspapers and cell phones will be full of for the next six months. Get ready for the deluge. We are going to be tired of politics by election day in November.

It has always been interesting to me how quickly campaign fortunes can change. A year ago, Kathy Hochul was in trouble with her party, her Lieutenant Governor had announced a campaign to run against her, and liberals in New York were lining up to run against her in a primary.

This year she is up in the polls, has helped the Mayor of the City of New York get elected, has increased state aid to struggling upstate cities (like Jamestown,) and has earned respect by bucking Donald Trump on various issues which would negatively affect New York. Who would have “thunk” a year ago that Hochul would be renominated almost without opposition?

And, Blakeman, what about him? Until recently he was an underdog in the race for Governor. Congresswoman Elise Stefanik from Upstate had been endorsed by most of the Republican politicians around here, and she seemed almost a “shoo-in” to win the nomination and possibly the Governorship.

Yet, the President (a former New Yorker) said he liked both Stefanik and Blakeman which didn’t seem like much of an endorsement to Stefanik, so she quit the race. Blakeman then, almost by default, became the Republican nominee for Governor. Who would have thought all of this could have happened?

Politics is a mercurial business. Things can change quickly. The race for Governor has only started and who knows what twists and turns it might take?

Blakeman might become the first Republican to hold the office in 20 years, or Kathy Hochul might become the first woman not only to be elected but to be re-elected as Governor in the history of the state.

If former radio announcer for the Buffalo Bills, Van Miller, were still around, he would probably say: “Fasten your seat belts, folks! This game isn’t over yet!”–the race for Governor is just beginning.

Rolland Kidder is a Stow resident.