(Fairfield County Editor Phil Hall contributed to this report.)
Gov. Kathy Hochul, who moved into the governor’s office from her post as lieutenant governor after Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo resigned, has become the first woman elected to a full four-year term as New York’s governor.
“Tonight, a glass ceiling was shattered in the state of New York. Thank you to everyone who made it happen ”” this victory is yours,” Hochul said.
Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado was elected on the Democratic ticket with Hochul. She had appointed him to the office and he resigned his seat in Congress in order to serve in the state position.
The outcome of Hochul’s contest with Republican Congressman Lee Zeldin of Long Island for the governorship became clear early in the morning of Wednesday Nov. 9 when 93% of the votes had been counted in New York state and Hochul led with 3,022,576 votes to Zeldin’s 2,710,211 votes, 52.7% to 47.3%.
In the final weeks of the campaign, Zeldin had stepped up his attacks on Hochul as being weak on crime and was saturating television with ads portraying her as a friend of criminals. The emphasis on crime as an issue, also done in by Republicans in other contests throughout the U.S., was having a positive effect for Zeldin as he steadily narrowed the gap with Hochul. Zeldin’s comparatively strong showing appears to have helped Republican candidates elsewhere in New York state and may have national ramifications as the Republicans appeared to have picked up from three to five New York seats in the House of Representatives.
Connecticut”™s Democrats staved off Republican challengers to maintain control of statewide and congressional seats, although the final results of the 5th Congressional District were too close to call as of the morning of Nov. 9.
Gov. Ned Lamont declared victory election night in his re-election bid against Bob Stefanowski. With 94% of the votes counted, Lamont scored 55.3% to Stefanowski”™s 43.7%, with Independent Party candidate Rob Hotaling snagging 1% of the tally.
Attorney General William Tong also gained re-election over Republican challenger Jessica Kordas. Democrats retained the other statewide offices with Sean Scanlon winning the race for Comptroller, Erick Russell becoming Treasurer and Stephanie Thomas becoming Secretary of the State.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal won his bid for a third term, defeating Donald Trump-backed candidate Leora Levy in the race for the U.S. Senate. Four of the state”™s five incumbent members of the U.S. House of Representatives ”“ Jim Himes, Rosa DeLauro, John Larson and Joe Courtney ”“ were re-elected.
The sole race where the Democrat did not coast to immediate victory was in the 5th Congressional District, where incumbent Rep. Jahana Hayes and former state senator George Logan. One day after the election, the race was called in Hayes’ favor, who won by less than 2,000 votes.
In a closely-watched New York contest, Republican Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro was holding a 6,100 vote lead over Democrat Josh Riley for the newly-created 19th Congressional District seat in the Hudson Valley in votes that had been tallied as of early Nov. 9.
In New York’s 17th Congressional District, Democratic incumbent Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney was trailing Republican challenger Mike Lawler. On the morning of Nov. 9, Maloney had 137,633 votes compared with Lawler’s 140,883 votes, 49.4% to 50.6%. Maloney, seeking his sixth term, last year was named chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
Rep. Pat Ryan declared victory early on Nov. 9 in his contest with Republican State Assemblyman Colin Schmitt for the 18th Congressional District seat. Ryan formerly had been Ulster County Executive.
Democrat Jen Metzger beat Republican Jim Quigley in the contest for Ulster County executive.
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer sailed to victory over Republican Joe Pinon for another six-year term in the Senate. Schumer had 56.9% of the vote compared with Pinon’s 43.2%. Another challenger, Diane Sare of the LaRouche Party, drew 0.9% of the votes.
New York Attorney General Letitia James won reelection against Republican challenger Michael Henry.
New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli won a fourth term with 56.9% of the vote as of the morning of Nov. 9 against Republican Paul Rodriguez, who had 43.1% of the vote.
Incumbent Democratic Congressman Jamal Bowman of New York was holding 63% of the vote in the contest for the 16th Congressional District against Republican Miriam Flisser.
In the New York State Senate, Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins of Yonkers was on her way to an easy victory with 65% of the vote compared with 35% for challenger Republican Khristen Kerr.
