Hochul Wins Democratic Primary for Governor, to Face GOP Rep. Lee Zeldin in November Election

The tickets for both major parties in this year’s race for governor are now set after voters chose their preferred nominees at the polls Tuesday.

Democrats chose Gov. Kathy Hochul as their party’s nominee for governor, ending a months-long race against two challengers who’d hoped to unseat her.

She received almost half of the vote from Democrats, while her opponents — New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams and Rep. Tom Suozzi — both ended the night with support from less than a third of voters.

Hochul rallied with supporters in Manhattan Tuesday night, when she said she was confident she was the right choice to take on the Republican nominee in November.

"We cannot and will not let right wing extremists set us backwards on all the decades of progress we've made right here," Hochul said.

She’ll run alongside Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado, who won the nomination for lieutenant governor in Tuesday’s primary, despite a strong performance from his challengers. Delgado received more than half of the vote.

"We need real leaders at a time like this," Delgado said. "We need public servants those who humble themselves before the people and actually care about the people who will fight to unite folks around a common cause and deliver results."

Ana Maria Archila, a progressive who’d racked up some key endorsements from advocacy groups and members of the Legislature, received about a quarter of the vote. Former New York City Council Member Diana Reyna received around 13 percent.

Rep. Lee Zeldin won the Republican nomination in the race for governor, making him Hochul’s opponent in the general election. He received about 40 percent of the vote.

Zeldin had been endorsed by top party officials in February, and was seen as the favorite to win the nomination. He rallied with supporters on Long Island Tuesday evening.

"Losing this race for us is not an option. Winning this race and firing Kathy Hochul is the only option in order to restore New York to glory," Zeldin said. "We will restore balance will restore common sense."

He faced three challengers: Andrew Giuliani, who’s the son of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani; former Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino; and businessman Harry Wilson.

None of the three had garnered more than a quarter of the vote, as of midnight.

This year’s general election is scheduled for Tuesday, November 8.