Kathy Hochul wins New York governor race for 2nd full term
Why it matters: The victory keeps New York in Democratic hands as the party tries to build state-level resistance to President Donald Trump.
Democrat Kathy Hochul won New York’s governor race on Tuesday, defeating Republican Bruce Blakeman and securing a second full term in office. The Associated Press projected Hochul the winner shortly after polls closed at 9 p.m. EST. Blakeman, the Nassau County executive, had tried to tie Hochul to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and cast her as too far left, while Hochul focused her campaign on the cost of living, child care and opposition to Trump. Hochul became governor in 2021 after Andrew Cuomo resigned and then won her first full term the following year. She is set to begin another four-year term in January.