2018 New York gubernatorial election

2018 New York gubernatorial election
User:Gage · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Election name	2018 New York gubernatorial election
Country	New York (state)
Type	Presidential
Previous election	2014 New York gubernatorial election
Previous year	2014
Next election	2022 New York gubernatorial election
Next year	2022
Election date	November 6, 2018
Turnout	47.6%
Nominee1	Andrew Cuomo
Party1	Democratic Party
Alliance1	Working Families Party
Popular vote1	3,635,554
Percentage1	59.6%
Nominee2	Marc Molinaro
Party2	Republican Party
Alliance2	Independence Party of New York
Popular vote2	2,325,748
Percentage2	38.2%

2018 New York gubernatorial election was held on November 6, 2018, to elect the Governor of New York amid the broader 2018 United States elections, including the 2018 United States Senate elections and the 2018 United States House of Representatives elections. Incumbent Andrew Cuomo ran for a third term against Marc Molinaro, with contests shaped by issues tied to the administrations of Donald Trump, state-level debates over Cuomo's policies, and intra-party dynamics involving figures such as Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Hillary Clinton.

Background

By 2018, Andrew Cuomo had served two terms since defeating Cathleen Young-era politics and succeeding David Paterson after the 2010 New York gubernatorial election and 2014 New York gubernatorial election. The political environment featured tension between Cuomo and members of the Democratic Party progressive wing, including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez-aligned activists and organizations such as the Working Families Party and MoveOn.org. Nationally, the presidency of Donald Trump and the agenda debates in the United States Congress influenced state races, while controversies involving state officials prompted scrutiny from outlets like The New York Times and assertions from groups including Common Cause and Citizens Union.

Candidates

Major candidates included incumbent Andrew Cuomo (Democratic, also endorsed by the Working Families Party), Marc Molinaro (Republican, endorsed by the Independence Party of New York and allied with state Republicans including John Faso and Lee Zeldin), and several minor or third-party contenders such as Stephanie Miner (initially exploring a third-party bid backed by Sage Humphrey-style reformers), Larry Sharpe (Libertarian Party), and Howie Hawkins (Green Party). Potential primary challengers who considered bids included Zephyr Teachout, Letitia James, Richard Brodsky, and Bill de Blasio-aligned circles, while national figures like Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders loomed in discussions about progressive endorsements.

Campaign

The campaign season featured debates over issues like tax policy tied to the federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, infrastructure projects such as the LaGuardia Airport redevelopment, and criminal justice reforms connected to prosecutors like Letitia James and prosecutors' policies in counties like Erie County and Monroe County. Cuomo’s campaign emphasized his record on the MTA (Metropolitan Transportation Authority), budget negotiations with the New York State Legislature, and initiatives on immigration opposing some federal policies from the Department of Homeland Security. Molinaro’s campaign focused on rural concerns in regions such as the Hudson Valley, the Southern Tier, and Upstate New York, aligning with lawmakers like John Kasich-adjacent centrists and appealing to Republican National Committee-linked donors. Media coverage by outlets including The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and New York Post highlighted controversies about Cuomo’s leadership style and questions raised by activists associated with Citizen Action of New York and unions such as the SEIU.

Primary elections

The Democratic primary effectively reconfirmed incumbent Andrew Cuomo after internal challenges failed to consolidate a credible statewide challenger; potential challengers like Zephyr Teachout declined full statewide bids or endorsed other campaigns. The Republican primary nominated Marc Molinaro, then the Dutchess County executive, after lesser-known contenders were filtered by the state convention process involving delegates from organizations like the New York Republican State Committee. Minor party conventions and ballot access battles involved groups such as the Board of Elections in the City of New York, the Green Party, and the Libertarian Party filing petitions amid signature-verification disputes that dragged into the summer.

General election

The general election campaign featured televised forums and advertising across media markets in New York City, Rochester, Buffalo, Syracuse, Albany, and Long Island. Debates touched on subjects tied to the United States Supreme Court rulings and federal immigration enforcement by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as well as state legislative coordination with leaders like Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Carl Heastie. Endorsements flowed from organizations including the New York State AFL–CIO, Common Cause, and editorial boards of newspapers such as the Newsday and the Albany Times Union. Campaign finance dynamics involved groups filing with the Federal Election Commission-analogous state disclosure processes and independent expenditures by political action committees linked to figures like Sheldon Silver-era networks and corporate donors.

Results

Incumbent Andrew Cuomo won re-election with approximately 59.6% of the vote, defeating Marc Molinaro, who received about 38.2%. Cuomo carried New York City boroughs including Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx, and Staten Island majorities in aggregate, while Molinaro performed competitively in counties such as Saratoga County, Steuben County, and rural Western New York jurisdictions. Voter turnout reflected midterm patterns seen in the 2018 United States elections nationwide. Third-party candidates like Howie Hawkins and Larry Sharpe captured smaller vote shares and maintained ballot-preservation thresholds for their respective parties in some counties.

Aftermath and impact

Cuomo’s third-term victory initially reinforced his statewide authority and his national profile within the Democratic Party, prompting speculation about potential presidential ambitions tied to figures like Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton allies. However, governance challenges, later allegations and investigations involving individuals in the Cuomo administration and responses from entities such as the New York State Attorney General and the New York State Assembly shifted political dynamics, energizing progressive activists associated with AOC-aligned movements and influencing the 2020s slate for state offices including races for New York Attorney General and New York State Senate seats. The election also affected the strategic calculations of the Republican Party in New York, leading to realignments in rural-upstate campaign tactics and ongoing debates within the Independence Party of New York and other third-party organizations.

Category:New York gubernatorial elections Category:2018 elections in the United States