Breaking out of a sleepy political pace, the Democratic candidates for governor and lieutenant governor spent the final weekend before Tuesday’s primary campaigning.

Gov. Kathy Hochul took part in the Pride March in the West Village on Sunday, while her two primary opponents spoke at a church in Harlem. 

Along the march route, there was a different kind of energy in the wake of massive news last week. While people celebrated Pride, the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade was a reminder that rights need to be fought for constantly.

Hochul said she was acutely aware of the challenge.

"They are trying to do everything they can to send a message that this was on the ballot before," she said. "And when Donald Trump won, that they now feel they have the right to strip away all of our rights. Well, that’s not what is happening in America. We are freedom fighters. We are going to keep fighting for our freedoms.”

Her opponent, Rep. Tom Suozzi, campaigned in Brooklyn and Queens and spoke at Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem.

“In the beginning of this campaign, I was at a church in southeast Queens, and the pastor got up and said, 'If God is for us, who can be against us?' And up on the screen flashed 'Romans 8:31,'" Suozzi said. "Now, I never knew it was Romans 8:31, but I felt that God was speaking to me right there and then because my birthday is 8/31."

Public Advocate Jumaane Williams also spoke at Abyssinian ahead of Tuesday’s election.

“I am running because you know the work that I have done on public safety, on housing and the economy. But we also lost 70,000 people during this pandemic," Williams said. "And I keep hearing our leaders say have to return to normal. And I keep saying no, I don’t want to return to normal, because it didn’t work for Abyssinian, it didn’t work for Harlem and it didn’t work for New York state.”

The candidates for lieutenant governor also spent the day campaigning. Ana Maria Archila marched in the Pride March. She also spoke about abortion rights.

“Yeah, I think this moment is a moment that reminds us that our rights are not in stone," she said. "That if we don’t protect them, they will be rolled back. There is a tiny minority that is extreme and has taken over the Supreme Court."

All the public polling has shown Hochul with a comfortable lead over her two rivals, but the lieutenant governor's race is much harder to gauge. 

There has not been much polling, and it is looking like a very low turnout election, which will affect the outcome.

Editor's Note: A previous version of this story incorrectly reported Kathy Hochul was the only Democratic candidate for governor to take part in the march.