Hochul and Blakeman Make Final Pitches as Early Voting Ends in New York

With early voting closing on Sunday, New York's gubernatorial candidates made last-minute appeals to voters ahead of Tuesday's election. Governor Kathy Hochul campaigned in New York City, shaking hands at a Buffalo Bills bar in Astoria, Queens, alongside Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Her message centred on affordability, highlighting a new $1,000 tax break for families with children under the age of four and her efforts to boost police presence on the subway. Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman campaigned across Suffolk County, Rensselaer County, and Oswego County, pledging to eliminate state income taxes on the first $100,000 earned by joint filers and to cut utility bills in half, while criticising Hochul's bail reform record. More than 1.7 million New Yorkers voted early statewide, with New York City accounting for 690,526 ballots — Brooklyn led all boroughs with 219,536, followed by Manhattan at 188,434. Blakeman pointed to recent polls showing him within four points statewide, while political analyst J.C. Polanco noted the race could hinge on New York's 3.43 million independent voters — more than the total number of registered Republicans in the state. Siena polling shows a majority of independents backing Blakeman; Quinnipiac shows a majority favouring Hochul. Election Day is Tuesday, November 4.