Gov. Kathy Hochul stopped by popular Astoria sports bar Murphy’s Sunday afternoon to sample the bar’s buffalo wings and catch part of the Buffalo Bills’ convincing win over the Carolina Panthers.
Hochul, a Buffalo native, was in town for a Get Out the Vote rally for Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani in Forest Hills Stadium on Oct. 26 and paid a trip to Murphy’s at 45-01 23rd Ave.
Clad head-to-toe in Bills gear, Hochul joined other members of the “Bills Mafia” as Josh Allen and Co. easily beat the Panthers by 40-9 in Carolina. Murphy’s has become a renowned Bills supporters bar since opening its doors in Astoria two years ago.
Hochul, a proud Irish-American whose grandparents emigrated from Ireland, also poured herself a pint of Guinness with the help of Murphy’s owner Rory Murphy, according to staff at the bar, located at 45-01 23rd Ave.
She also inspected the bar’s wings to ensure they lived up to the standard of her native Buffalo, double checking that the dish was served with blue cheese rather than ranch.
The governor stayed in the Irish pub for around 30 minutes before moving on, bar staff said.
Hochul later traveled to Forest Hills for a massive “New York is not for Sale” rally in support of Mamdani, the clear frontrunner in the ongoing mayoral election.
Hochul endorsed Mamdani in September, though she publicly opposed his calls to increase taxes on the city’s wealthiest residents to fund his platform of free buses and universal childcare, among other initiatives.
Prolonged and vocal chants of “tax the rich” erupted during Hochul’s address, prompting Mamdani to make an unscheduled appearance on stage in an apparent attempt to cool the temperature.
