2018 New York state elections
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The 2018 New York state elections took place on November 6, 2018. On that date, the State of New York held elections for the following offices: Governor and Lieutenant Governor (on one ticket), Attorney General, Comptroller, U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representatives, New York State Senate, New York state assembly, and various others. Primary elections took place on September 13, 2018.[1] As of May 2018, Democrats had won all 19 elections to statewide offices that have occurred in New York since 2002.[2]
On Election Day, the Democratic ticket of Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul was re-elected, as were incumbent Democratic U.S. senator Kirsten Gillibrand and incumbent Democratic comptroller Tom DiNapoli. Democrat Letitia James was elected attorney general. Democrats won 40 of 63 seats in the New York State Senate, decisively ousting the Republicans from control of that chamber. Democrats also won 21 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and maintained their State Assembly supermajority.
Governor
[edit]Incumbent Democratic governor Andrew Cuomo was re-elected to a second term in 2014. Cuomo ran for a third term in 2018.[3] Actress and activist Cynthia Nixon unsuccessfully challenged Cuomo in the Democratic primary.[4] Incumbent Democratic lieutenant governor Kathy Hochul sought re-election to her current post.[5] Hochul defeated Democratic New York City Councilmember Jumaane Williams in the Democratic primary.[6]
In the general election, the Cuomo/Hochul ticket (running on the Democratic, Working Families, Independence, and Women's Equality lines) defeated Marcus Molinaro and Julie Killian (Republican, Conservative and Reform Parties), Howie Hawkins and Jia Lee (Green Party), Larry Sharpe and Andrew Hollister (Libertarian Party candidate), and Stephanie Miner and Michael Volpe (running on the Serve America Movement line).[7]
New York State Attorney General
[edit]Incumbent Democratic Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, who has been in office since 2011, was re-elected in 2014 with 56% of the vote. On May 7, 2018, he resigned his position, the day that an article in The New Yorker reported detailed allegations of abusive behavior toward several women he had dated during his time in the office.[8] A joint session of the New York State Legislature appointed Solicitor General Barbara Underwood to fulfill the remainder of the term; Underwood agreed not to pursue election to a full term.[9]
New York City Public Advocate Letitia "Tish" James secured the state Democratic Party official endorsement in May 2018; Leecia Eve, Sean Patrick Maloney and Zephyr Teachout challenged her in the Democratic primary.[10] The Republicans nominated Keith Wofford for the post.[11] James prevailed in the Democratic primary on September 13, 2018, with 40.6% of the vote.[12][13] James went on to easily win the general election, with nearly 60% of the vote versus Wofford's 34%.[14] James is the first woman and the first African-American to be elected New York Attorney General.[15]
New York State Comptroller
[edit]Incumbent Democratic Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, who had been in office since 2007, was re-elected in 2014 with 60% of the vote. Jonathan Trichter, a campaign operative and former public finance banker,[16] received the Republican nomination despite his past Democratic Party enrollment.[17] DiNapoli easily defeated Trichter.[18]
United States Senate
[edit]Incumbent Democratic senator Kirsten Gillibrand sought re-election to a second full term. The Republican Party nominated private equity executive Chele Chiavacci Farley to challenge Gillibrand.[19] Gillibrand defeated Farley by a wide margin.[20]
United States House of Representatives
[edit]All of New York's twenty-seven seats in the United States House of Representatives were up for election in 2018. Democrats defeated three Republican incumbents and won a total of 21 New York House seats, while Republicans won six.[21][22] Nationally, the Democratic Party won control of the House of Representatives on Election Day.[23]
New York State Senate
[edit]In April 2018, The Wall Street Journal called the New York State Senate the "last bastion of power" of the Republican Party in New York.[24]
All 63 seats of the New York State Senate were up for election in 2018. Five Republican members of the state senate—Sens. John Bonacic, Tom Croci, John A. DeFrancisco, Bill Larkin, and Kathy Marchione—had announced that they would not seek re-election in the fall.[25]
In May 2018, City & State rated the following state senate races as competitive:
- District 3 (likely Republican);
- District 5 (lean Republican);
- District 6 (likely Republican);
- District 7 (toss-up);
- District 8 (lean Democrat);
- District 9 (likely Democrat);
- District 17 (wild card);
- District 22 (likely Republican);
- District 39 (likely Republican);
- District 41 (likely Republican); and
- District 42 (likely Republican).[26]
On Election Day 2018, Democrats gained eight Senate seats, taking control of the chamber from the Republicans.[27] The following day, The New York Times wrote that the Democrats had "decisively evict[ed] Republicans from running the State Senate, which they [had] controlled for all but three years since World War II."[28] Enrolled Democrats won a total of 40 seats.[29]
New York State Assembly
[edit]All 150 seats in the New York state assembly were up for election in 2018. The Democrats retained their supermajority.[30]
References
[edit]- ^ "2018 POLITICAL CALENDAR" (PDF). New York State Board of Elections. March 13, 2018.
- ^ Mahoney, Bill (May 24, 2018). "How New York's GOP hopes to avoid a 'blue wave'". Politico. Retrieved October 23, 2018.
- ^ Lovett, Kenneth (November 15, 2016). "Gov. Cuomo plans to seek reelection despite considered possible 2020 presidential candidate". Daily News. New York. Retrieved November 15, 2016.
- ^ Nahmias, Laura (September 13, 2018). "Cuomo sails to primary victory, with eyes to the White House". Politico. Retrieved September 13, 2018.
- ^ Precious, Tom (January 17, 2018). "Hochul makes it clear: She will run for re-election". Buffalo News. Retrieved April 10, 2018.
- ^ Almukhtar, Sarah (September 13, 2018). "New York Primary Election Results". The New York Times.
- ^ "2018 gubernatorial election results" (PDF). Elections.NY.gov. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 17, 2021. Retrieved January 2, 2019.
- ^ Mayer, Jane; Farrow, Ronan (May 7, 2018). "Four Women Accuse New York's Attorney General of Physical Abuse". New Yorker.
- ^ "Lawmakers Select Underwood as Interim Attorney General".
- ^ Lovett, Kenneth (January 18, 2016). "New York City politicians putting together finances eyeing 2018 statewide campaigns". New York Daily News. Retrieved November 18, 2016.
- ^ "GOP backs Keith Wofford for attorney general". Politico. May 24, 2018. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
- ^ "No Need to Flash-Forward to 2021: Mayoral Hopefuls Already Engaged". Retrieved 2018-09-20.
- ^ Mays, Jeffery C. (September 14, 2018). "Letitia James Makes History by Winning Attorney General Primary in New York". The New York Times. Retrieved September 15, 2018.
- ^ "2018 Attorney General election results" (PDF). Elections.NY.gov.
- ^ "NYS Attorney General Letitia James Delivers Historic Inaugural Speech". January 2019.
- ^ Harding, Robert (March 7, 2018). "Jonathan Trichter preparing to challenge NY Comptroller Tom DiNapoli". AuburnPub.com. Retrieved April 10, 2018.
- ^ "For comptroller, GOP unanimously backs Trichter, a new Republican". May 24, 2018. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
- ^ Manskar, Noah (November 7, 2018). "Thomas DiNapoli Wins Re-Election as NY Comptroller". Patch.com.
- ^ Jimmy Vielkind (March 2, 2018). "Republicans nominate Chele Farley to make their case against Gillibrand". Politico. Retrieved March 20, 2018.
- ^ "Kirsten Gillibrand easily defeats Chele Farley for re-election to U.S. Senate". November 7, 2018.
- ^ "Complete results for every Congressional race in New York State". November 7, 2018.
- ^ "U.S. House races: Democrats pick up seats in New York".
- ^ "Democrats seize control of House, power to investigate President Trump". USA Today.
- ^ "Democrats Win New York Senate Races". Wall Street Journal. April 24, 2018. Retrieved October 23, 2018.
- ^ "Fifth GOP state senator in a week announces retirement plans". May 3, 2018. Archived from the original on July 21, 2018. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
- ^ Lewis, Rebecca (May 3, 2018). "An updated guide to the 2018 state Senate elections". City & State. Retrieved September 4, 2018.
- ^ Wang, Vivian (November 7, 2018). "Democrats Take Control of New York Senate for First Time in Decade". The New York Times. Retrieved December 19, 2018.
- ^ McKinley, Jesse; Goldmacher, Shane (November 7, 2018). "Democrats Finally Control the Power in Albany. What Will They Do With It?". The New York Times. Retrieved November 12, 2018.
- ^ "Certified Results from the November 6, 2018 General Election for NYS Senate" (PDF). New York Board of Elections. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
- ^ "As Democratic Senate Becomes Reality, Unclear How Hard Assembly Majority Will Push Prior Agenda". GothamGazette.com.