Who won the Democratic gubernatorial primary?
Gov. Kathy Hochul handily won the primary race, according to the Associated Press, where she was declared the winner at 9:26 p.m. Hochul is now the first woman in New York state history to win the nomination for governor by a major party.
Hochul, who ascended to the role after former Gov. Andrew Cuomo resigned in disgrace, held an election night victory party at Tribeca Rooftop. She spoke below a glass ceiling, often understood as a metaphor that female candidates seek to break as they ascend to office.
Long Island-based Rep. Lee Zeldin will face off against incumbent Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul in November.
"I stand on the shoulders of generations of women, generations of women who constantly had to bang up against that glass ceiling," she said. "To the women of New York, this one is for you.”
Hochul defeated Long Island Rep. Tom Suozzi, who ran to Hochul’s right, and New York City Public Advocate Jumaane WIlliams, who ran on a progressive platform.
The win was largely unsurprising given Hochul’s massive campaign war chest and key endorsements.
New York City Public Advocate and Democratic gubernatorial nominee Jumaane Williams at his election night party shortly after his rival, Gov. Kathy Hochul, was the projected winner for the primary race.
What about the Republican gubernatorial primary?
Long Island-based Congressman Lee Zeldin was projected to become the Republican candidate for governor just before 10:30 p.m. Tuesday night, according to the Associated Press.
The 42-year-old four-term representative’s victory validated his status as the establishment candidate, fending off challenges from three feisty opponents: former Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino, former hedge fund manager Harry Wilson and Andrew Giuliani, son of former Mayor Rudy Giuliano.
Former Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino; businessman Harry Wilson; Congressman Lee Zeldin and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani's son Andrew Giuliani.
The primary campaign was rambunctious and contentious at times, with conservative values at the forefront. Zeldin, who was endorsed by former Vice President Mike Pence, focused much of his campaign championing former president Donald Trump, endorsing the U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning Roe V. Wade and vowing to protect gun rights. He was also among the House representatives who voted in 2020 to overturn the presidential results, a decision Zeldin defended on the campaign trail, saying he was concerned about changes to the election process that were brought on by the pandemic.
Zeldin previously served as a lawyer and an officer in the U.S. Army Reserve and promised a tough-on-crime approach as he heads into the November election against the incumbent, Gov. Kathy Hochul, who came out on to of Tuesday night’s Democratic primary.
Was there a surprise in the lieutenant governor’s primary race?
No.
Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado fended off a challenge from progressive activist Ana Maria Archila and former New York City Councilmember Diana Reyna, becoming the AP’s projected winner Tuesday night. Archila was the preferred candidate for Williams, while Reyna was Suozzi’s preferred pick for the No. 2 spot.
Delgado shared the stage with Hochul at their victory night party. Delgado was picked to serve as lieutenant governor shortly after his predecessor, Brian Benjamin, resigned in disgrace following a criminal bribery charge. He served as a member of the House of Representatives, representing a seat in the Hudson Valley.
With a projected win, Delgado will go on to face Republican challenger Alison Esposito, who ran an uncontested race. The two will now be joined under one ticket for the November general election.
Any surprise winners for Assembly races?
Yes.
Unofficial results showed longtime incumbent Bronx Assemblymember Jose Rivera — once the Bronx Democratic Party boss and the head of a political dynasty — lost to George Alvarez.
Also in the Bronx, longtime Assemblymembers Michael Benedetto and Jeffrey Dinowitz fended off progressive challengers endorsed by the Working Families Party.
In Brooklyn, Hercules Reid — who had been endorsed by Mayor Eric Adams — lost his race to Monique Chandler-Waterman, the same person who won the special election last month, according to unofficial results. In Manhattan, Grace Lee won the open 65th Assembly District seat currently held by Assemblymember Yuh-Line Niou, who relinquished a re-election bid to run for the 10th Congressional District.
You can check out unofficial results for the Democratic and Republican Assembly races here.
How low was turnout?
Even with nine days of early voting and the primary, turnout was extremely low in the gubernatorial race.
The state Board of Elections said 769,892 Democratic voters had submitted ballots on Tuesday, with roughly 80 percent of the state precincts reporting as of 11:30 p.m. There are roughly 6.4 million registered Democrats in the state, according to the BOE. About 350,000 Republicans voted statewide out of 2.8 million registered voters in that party, the BOE said.
The latest projects from the city Board of Elections showed that as of 6 p.m. Tuesday there were 495,782 voters who cast a ballot in the city. Even with a final total, it’s unlikely the total will reach figures for the 2018 primary, where over 900,000 city voters cast a ballot. That year, then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo faced a challenge from actress Cynthia Nixon.
What’s next?
Election season is not quite over. Because of the state’s redistricting mess, there is another primary on August 23rd for state Senate and congressional races.
The winners of the primary will go on to face challengers in the November general election.
Correction: This article has been updated to reflect that Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado spoke Tuesday night at the Tribeca Rooftop.
