vote

2022 – The NY Governor’s Race

On Tuesday, November 8, 2022, will be held the Governor of New York general elections. The incumbent Governor Kathy Hochul is on the run to win a full term after she took the office from the resigned Andrew Cuomo. Even after Democrat Attorney General Letitia James decided to stand down the competition is set to be fierce. Just like Kathy Hochul is the first female Governor, Letitia would have been the first black woman taking the Gubernatorial office in history. Instead, she decided to work on her potential reelection as an Attorney General.

However, Governor Kathy Hochul is not the only nominee of the Democratic Party. The advocate Jumaane Williams, former New York mayor Bill de Blasio, and a few other candidates will also run in the election. On the other hand, Republicans will not stay and watch either. According to some polls, the party has a few well-prepared campaigners, including Lee Zeldin, who has the biggest chance.

Cuomo’s Resignation

Before we go any further, let’s trace the string of history. The Democrat Andrew Cuomo was elected to serve as Governor of New York. He was the 56th in this role from 2011 until his resignation in 2021. Maybe we can find many reasons behind this act, but undoubtedly, the biggest impact came from the countless allegations of sexual misconduct. Another reason we can point out is the public disapproval of Cuomo’s acts towards corruption. A massive example of that is the Moreland Commission, which was discontinued in 2014 by the Governor, who established it himself earlier.

The main allegations were that Governor Cuomo was obstructing and directing away investigations that could lead to political crackdowns. His decision to disband the Commission only elevated voter suspicions and rival attacks. The first strike on the sexual harassment allegations came on December 13, 2020, by Lindsey Boylan. The former Cuomo assistant’s accusations were rejected by the office and denounced as false. But that was not the end of the story, and new allegations popped up in the following months. The investigation report of Attorney General Letitia James, from August 2021, shows a total of 11 different women accusing Andrew Cuomo of sexual misconduct.

Kathy Hochul – First Female Governor

Less than a couple of weeks after the Attorney General’s report, on August 24, 2021, Andrew Cuomo resigned as the Governor of New York. His lieutenant governor, Kathy Hochul, inherited the post, becoming the first female Governor in history. She is meant to serve in the office until the end of Cuomo’s term on January 1, 2023. Besides being the 57th NY Governor, Kathleen Hochul is also a lawyer from Buffalo, upstate New York.

The last person from that part of the state taking the chair in the Albany office was Nathan L. Miller. He served as the 43rd Governor of New York from 1921 to 1922. But let’s get back to Kathy Hochul! She is certainly more than competent and skilled to hold the office, especially given the facts that she has been in the role of lieutenant governor since 2015 and after Letitia James’ election race dropped off.

Who Will Run in the Race

On the other hand, the Democrat Party clearly wants reassurances that the position will remain under their control by allowing several more candidates to participate. Besides Kathy Hochul, the other main party representatives will be:

  • Jumaane Williams – Public Advocate, NYC Councilman, and Lieutenant Governor Candidate from 2018
  • Tomas Suozzi – Congressman – Nassau County Executive, Former Mayor of Long Island’s Glen Cove
  • Paul Nichols – Over a Decade of Experience in the State Government
  • Bill de Blasio – Outgoing New York City Mayor, Public Advocate- 2010 to 1013.

These are only the main candidates of the Democrats, and more can be announced soon. As the New York Times reported at the end of 2021, Kathy Hochul was building a significant advantage in front of her biggest rivals – Letitia James and Jumaane Williams. Maybe because of that, the Attorney General decided to quit the race for now. According to a poll organized by Poughkeepsie’s Marist College in October 2021, Hochul would win the election if they were that day.

On the other side of the fence is the Republican Party. They did not have their member sitting in the NY Governor’s chair since George E. Pataki, who served from 1995 to 2007. The US Representative in the Senate, Lee Zeldin, has huge chances according to several independently organized polls. His election bid was supported by the Republican Party’s leadership in the state. The other candidates are:

  • Rob Astorino – Westchester County Executive Since 2010
  • Andrew Giuliani – Official of President Trump’s Administration
  • Michael Carpinelli – Lewis County Sheriff Since 2011
  • Harry Wilson – Businessman
  • Derrick Gibson – Contractor.

What Could We Expect

No matter what happens in the next several months, undoubtedly, the race for the NY Governor’s office will remain hot. The state is still considered one of the major Democratic strongholds so the battle between Kathy Hochul and the other nominees will be under the spotlight. Most polls give Hochul a massive advantage of above 50% compared to all. On the other hand, Lee Zeldin would receive almost 90% of the Republican vote if the election were on March 25, 2022.