Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) won a second term in New York’s 2026 gubernatorial election Tuesday, delivering a defeat to Republican challenger Bruce Blakeman.
Hochul secured the victory with 77.7% of the vote compared to Blakeman’s 22.1%, as of 9 p.m. The outcome comes as polling leading up to the Nov. 3 election painted a mixed picture of the size of Hochul’s lead.
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Blakeman, the Nassau County executive, sought to appeal to voters frustrated by the cost of living and safety issues in the state. His strategy came as voters indicated they are unhappy with conditions in New York, with 52% saying it is moving in the wrong direction, a sentiment reflected in New York Knicks owner James Dolan’s decision to shift support from Hochul to Blakeman over the “failing economy.”
While Blakeman held President Donald Trump’s endorsement, the gubernatorial hopeful framed himself as a more centrist politician on the campaign trail, endeavoring to tie New York’s problems to incumbent leadership. Hochul fought to link him to the president, who is widely unpopular in the state.
“It’s Trump, Trump, Trump — first of all, Trump didn’t make us the highest taxed state, Kathy Hochul did,” Blakeman said during an October stop in Erie County. “Our utility bills are seven times higher than the national average. If I was governor for the last four years and I thought I did a good job, I’d be talking about my record.”
READ THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER’S COVERAGE OF THE 2026 MIDTERM ELECTIONS
Blakeman’s loss Tuesday comes after he faced steep odds in his ambitions to flip the seat red. New York has not elected a Republican governor in over two decades. Though he oversees one of the most populous counties in New York, Blakeman faced intense headwinds with name recognition when compared to Hochul, leaving himself vulnerable to being defined by Democrats.
Hochul scored a 6-point win in 2022 after initially filling out the remainder of former Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s term when he resigned from office in 2021 over sexual abuse allegations.