AP Projects Hochul Re-elected as New York Governor; Statewide Democrats Win Big

New York State's 2026 midterm elections produced few surprises at the top of the ticket. Around 9:15 p.m., the Associated Press projected that Governor Kathy Hochul had defeated Republican challenger Bruce Blakeman to win re-election. Running alongside Hochul as the lieutenant governor candidate is former City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams of Queens; the pair are on track to become the first all-female duo to lead New York's executive branch.

Two other statewide Democratic incumbents were also projected to win comfortably. State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli defeated Republican Joseph Hernandez, and State Attorney General Letitia James of Brooklyn beat Republican nominee Saritha Komatireddy.

In congressional races, Brooklyn's Hakeem Jeffries — currently the House Minority Leader — is among the New York incumbents on the ballot. Should Democrats retake the House majority, as many analysts anticipate, Jeffries would be the likely choice for Speaker in January.

New York City voters are also deciding five ballot questions put forward by the Commission on Government Efficiency, a body Mayor Zohran Mamdani appointed this year to streamline city government, particularly around land use and construction. Preliminary results are being provided by both the New York State and New York City Boards of Elections.