New York: What to Expect on Election Night

By The Associated Press

Ever-blue New York has twice as many registered Democrats as Republicans and has turned less friendly for Republicans over the past decade, thanks in part to upstate population loss and a decrease in New Yorkers identifying as Republicans. Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election decisively in the state, and Democrats control the governor’s seat and enjoy supermajorities in both chambers of the state Legislature

New York’s top race this November features Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul running to become the state’s first elected female governor against Republican U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin of Long Island. Former lieutenant governor Hochul took office last year following the resignation of her predecessor former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who resigned to avoid a likely impeachment trial. Hochul’s maintained a strong lead in polling this year, though Zeldin hopes his anti-crime messaging will help him narrow the gap and oust her.

Hochul has focused on stressing her supporting for abortion rights and acting on climate change, and criticized Zeldin’s support of Trump and his objection to certifying 2020 election results. Zeldin has vowed to appoint an anti-abortion state health commissioner and has criticized millions of dollars spent to help abortion providers amid an expected surge in out-of-state patients.

Republicans control eight out of New York’s 27 previous congressional districts going into the 2022 election, with New York set to lose one of those seats. Democrats failed to pass new federal and legislative political maps that would have cemented solid liberal majorities statewide. An upstate judge ended up ordering new sets of maps drawn by an independent court master, whose maps gave Democrats a smaller edge.

Political Cartoons