Hochul wins second term as New York governor

Kathy Hochul won a second full term as New York governor on November 3, defeating Republican Bruce Blakeman in a race called shortly after polls closed at 9 p.m. The Associated Press called the contest for Hochul, and preliminary results showed her well ahead, though the final certified statewide tally was not included in the election-night reports. Hochul and lieutenant governor running mate Adrienne Adams were also reported as the first all-women ticket elected statewide in New York. The early vote figures varied by source and snapshot. One report cited unofficial City Board of Elections results showing Hochul with 74.5% and Blakeman with 24.3%; another gave 77.7% and 22.1%, respectively, as of 9 p.m. Those preliminary numbers do not establish the final statewide margin. The win gives Hochul another four years in Albany. She became governor in August 2021 after Andrew Cuomo resigned, then won her first full term in 2022 by about six percentage points against Republican Lee Zeldin. Adams, a former New York City Council speaker, is set to become lieutenant governor and was reported to be the state’s first Black woman in that role. Affordability featured prominently in the...