Gov. Kathy Hochul’s re-election as state governor after defeating Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley) was one of several Democratic statewide victories Tuesday despite Nassau County voting Republican in those contests.
With her victory, Hochul is the state’s first female to be elected governor. She will serve a four-year term.
With 93.23% of the districts reporting, Hochul captured 52.2% of the 5,652,386 total votes cast, according to the state Board of Elections, while Zeldin received 47%.
But in Nassau, Hochul drew 44.6% of the 507,421 total votes cast and Zeldin claimed the larger share at 55.4% of the vote. All the county’s 1,076 election districts have been reported.
Hochul was promoted from lieutenant governor after Andrew Cuomo’s resignation last August. Before becoming lieutenant governor, she served as a representative in the state’s 26th Congressional District from 2011-2013.
“Yes, the glass ceiling, like the one that’s above us here today, has finally been shattered in the State of New York,” Hochul said in her victory speech. “The lesson of tonight’s victory is that given the choice, New Yorkers refuse to go backward on our long march toward progress.”
Hochul won her party’s nomination in June by defeating U.S. Rep Tom Suozzi (D-Glen Cove) and New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams.
Former U.S. Rep. Antonio Delgado was Hochul’s running mate for lieutenant governor, a position he is serving in currently.
Zeldin did not concede. He said that as uncounted votes are tallied, the results will become closer.
While Democrats won every statewide election, their Republican opponents received more votes in Nassau County.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat who has served in the U.S. Senate since 1999, defeated Republican Joe Pinion and Independent Diane Sare, taking 55.1% of the state vote. He received 48.2% of the vote in Nassau.
Letitia James, a Democrat running for re-election as state attorney general, prevailed over Michael Henry, a Republican. James won 52.7% of the state vote compared to Henry’s 44.8%. In Nassau, she received 45.6% of the vote.
Democrat Thomas DiNapoli beat Republican Paul Rodriguez to serve as state comptroller, receiving 55% of the vote but just 49.5% of the vote in Nassau.
The Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act of 2022 was approved with 59% of the vote statewide. It received 51.87% approval from Nassau voters.
