Self-proclaimed Bills fan Gov. Hochul to hold posh NYC fundraiser instead of attending team’s NFL playoff game
By Carl Campanile
Published Jan. 19, 2024, 5:14 p.m. ET
Is Taylor Swift more willing to go to Buffalo than Gov. Hochul? There’s a good chance the pop Queen will attend Sunday’s NFL playoff game in the rust-belt, upstate city between the Bills and the Kansas City Chiefs — but the governor, a self-proclaimed Buffalo fanatic and native of the town, will be spending the day in Manhattan hosting a fundraiser at a swanky nightclub.
While the favorite Bills face off against the defending Super Bowl champs and their Swift-boyfriend tight end Travis Kelce on the frozen tundra of Highpoint Stadium, Hochul and her wealthy supporters will be relaxing at the trendy Versa on West 35th Street. The amenities at the hot spot, where cocktails go for $19, include a posh roof deck with a glass retractable roof, that will presumably be closed Sunday.
Her decision to stay in the Big Apple during one of her hometown’s biggest moments makes some fellow upstate polls say she abandoning her roots for Broadway. “She’s pandering again to New York City,” griped state Sen. George Borrello, who represents the Buffalo region in Western New York.
“It’s disappointing. The Buffalo Bills is the only professional football team that plays in New York,” he said, noting that the Jets and Giants play across the Hudson in New Jersey’s Meadowlands. The governor will at least express her Bills fandom by giving the party a Buffalo football theme. An image of the invitation to the “Playoff Watch Party” looks like a ticket to the game with the words “zoned” “sec” and “seat” and lists a 6:30 p.m. “Kickoff” time.
Attendees are asked to pay $1,000, $2,500, or $5,000 for the right to schmooze with the governor. There’s a picture of a Bills helmet and the words “KH 2026”, meaning the contribution goes to Hochul’s 2026 re-election campaign treasury.
Should Hochul be thrown out of “Bills Mafia” — the p
