"My friends, I am so proud to stand before you and say, the state of the state of New York is strong," exclaimed Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) as she delivered her 2026 State of the State address from the Hart Theater at The Egg in the state's capital city of Albany. The governor spoke on her policy successes and spoke on her affordability agenda, specifically child care. She said, "this year, while Washington takes a machete to our safety net, I'm doubling down on the fight for a more affordable New York, starting with child care," as she spoke on the high cost of child care and highlighted her goal of universal child care for all New Yorkers. Other topics addressed included immigrant protections, health care, artificial intelligence (AI), housing affordability, and education.