By Tim Binnall
A debate among the Democratic candidates for governor of New York took a spooky turn on Tuesday evening when each member of the group was asked if they believe in ghosts. The unexpected inquiry (which can be seen in the video above) came about during a 'lightning round' wherein more lighthearted 'issues,' such as whether they preferred Superman or Batman, were presented to the incumbent Governor Kathy Hochul and her two primary challengers Tom Suozzi and Jumaane Williams. Included in the rapid-fire portion of the event was the seemingly simple query "do you believe in ghosts," which wound up prompting some rather enlightening answers.
The first candidate to respond, Suozzi, initially offered a succinct "no," before reconsidering his answer and musing "I believe in spirits though, yeah, I guess I do." Asked for his perspective on the paranormal phenomenon, Williams indicated that "I am a man of faith, so I don't know if I'd call it 'ghosts,' but I do believe in the afterlife and my ancestors are there." Rounding out the responses was Hochul, who provided perhaps the most revelatory answer. "I speak to my mother all the time, I lost her just months before I became lieutenant governor and she led a challenging life and I draw inspiration from her every single day," she said, "so, yes, I do communicate with someone who is no longer with us."
While it remains to be seen whether or not any voters will be swayed by the candidates' answers to the question of whether or not they believe in ghosts, the inquiry could actually have some relevance should one of them ultimately win the election. That's because it has long been rumored that the governor's mansion in New York state may be haunted. To that end, one former office holder claimed to have experienced paranormal activity in the home and another previous governor went so far as to call the home "creepy" due to an unsettling feeling inexplicably pervading the residence.