In an unprecedented move for New York State, voters have elected two woman candidates for its highest office in this year’s general election. Governor Kathy Hochul for her second full term, and the first Black woman Lieutenant Governor Adrienne Adams. Hochul fended off Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman in the race.
“Thank you for putting your trust in me,” said Hochul at the Democratic watch party Tuesday night at the Hilton hotel in Midtown Manhattan on Nov. 3. “Serving as your governor has been the privilege of my lifetime and I will never, ever, ever take your faith in me for granted.”
Bottom of Form
According to the city’s unofficial Board of Elections (BOE) results, there was a surge in early voting with 690,526 ballots cast; mostly in Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens. The Associated Press reported an early lead for Hochul at the close of the polls with 77% of the votes out the gate. By the end of the night, Hochul had scored 76.10% of the Democrat and Working Families votes. Blakeman got 23.69% of the votes.
Hochul had about 14.2% of the Black vote and 15.6% of the Latino vote, reported the AP.
This was part of a nationwide thrashing Democrats gave Republicans in a repudiation of President Donald Trump and MAGA conservatives. With Democrats winning an estimated 250 House seats, the massive victory sets House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to become the next House Speaker, possibly making him the first Black American and first New York City member to hold the position. As of Nov. 4, Democrats also wrestled control of the U.S Senate with 54 seats to Republican’s 42 seats.
“The wealthy, the well-off and the well-connected tried to buy this election,” said Jeffries Tuesday night. “The American people have responded in a resounding way and made clear that America is not for sale.”
Around the country Black leadership took center stage. Former Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms became the first Black governor of Georgia and the first Black woman in U.S. history to serve in such a role. In addition, Nevada attorney general Aaron Ford was elected first Black governor of Nevada, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley will be the first Black governor of Wisconsin, and Rep. Stacey Plaskett was elected the first Black woman governor in the U.S Virgin Islands. Governor Wes Moore also won his reelection bid in Maryland. In the GOP column Rep, Byron Donalds is the first Black governor of Florida. Also Florida democratic socialist candidate suffered a narrow loss to Ashley Moody in that state’s senate race.
Major races with Black candidates that were left to be decided on Wednesday morning included the Mississippi senate race, which shows Democrat Scott Colum leading incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith by an extremely narrow margin; and the Los Angeles mayoral race, where City Councilmember Nithya Raman has taken a slim lead over incumbent Karen Bass.
Latino candidates did very well in major gubernatorial races as well. Texas State Rep. Gina Hinojosa upset Gov. Greg Abbott as he bid for his fourth term, and former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra has defeated political commentator Steve Hilton to become governor of California.
In the early morning hours of Nov. 4, the Associated Press called the highly contested Michigan race for Abdul El-Sayed over Republican candidate Mike Rogers. El-Sayed is the first Muslim elected to the senate in the nation’s history. He scored 51.8% of the votes while Rogers got 46.2%.
Road to victory
Hochul became the state’s first female governor after former Governor Andrew Cuomo resigned due to several sexual harassment scandals in 2021. She was his lieutenant governor at the time. She went on to run for and win her first full term as governor in her own right in 2023. Her reelection marks her second full term in office.
Adams was New York City’s first Black woman City Council speaker, prior to her being Hochul’s running mate in the 2026 gubernatorial race. She delighted in making history yet again as the state’s first Black woman Lieutenant Governor Adrienne Adams.
“It is the honor of my life to stand behind and next to Governor Kathy Hochul,” said Adams at the watch party.
Having two women on the same ticket and win is not unheard of in other states, but it’s unprecedented for New York.
As the polls closed, Mayor Zohran Mamdani said that he was grateful for the partnership with Hochul and excited to get to work. “So many people in this room had a choice,” said Mamdani. “It was a choice between infighting or introspection, finding faults or forging a different future, pettiness or progress, and tonight, almost two years later to the day, we stand on the cusp of delivering that progress.”
Fellow socialist upstarts, like Darializa Avila-Chevalier in Harlem and Claire Valdez in Brooklyn, were officially voted into office after their shocking wins in the primaries.
Avila-Chevalier cast her ballot at Harlem Renaissance High School on the morning of Election Day. She confirmed that she’d support Jeffries for Speaker.
“This vote would be a really historic one. It would mean that we would have the first Black Speaker in the House. It would mean that the Speakership would come to New York, and it would mean that we would do that under a Democratic majority,” said Avila-Chevalier outside her polling place. “I want people to feel the impact of that.”
Meanwhile, New York Attorney General Letitia James, who spent the last month or so blitz campaigning with Hochul and Adams, also snagged a win in her race for re-election. She’s made a career for the last several years battling President Donald Trump in court. She had 74% of the votes at the close of the polls over her opponent, reported the AP. By the end of the night, she had 75.61% of the Democratic and Working Families votes. Her opponent, Saritha Komatireddy, had 24.28%.
“Without fear and without favor, and tonight New Yorkers told us loud and clear they want Tish James to finish the job,” said James. “We reject their fear mongering.”
“Tonight, New Yorkers have made their voices heard, and I am honored to continue serving them as Attorney General for a historic third term,” Hochul said in a statement shortly after her win was announced.
—————————-
Editor’s Note: This story has been updated.
Discover more from InnerCity News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
