2018 New York Primary Results

Despite a relentless progressive campaign, Democratic challenger Cynthia Nixon could not topple two-time incumbent Andrew Cuomo for the gubernatorial nominee, as she earned only 34% of the votes. 

Cuomo will head to the general elections in November against Republican Marcus Molinaro, Green Party’s Howie Hawkins, and Libertarian Larry Sharpe. Nixon’s ticketmate for Lieutenant Governor, Jumaane Williams, came close to unseating incumbent Kathy Hochul, earning 47% of votes, but it was not enough to overtake the bulwark. Hochul will face Republican Julie Killian and Green Party’s Jia Lee in the general election.

Another hotly contested race this year was the Democratic Attorney General election, featuring NYC Public Advocate Letitia James beating out progressive favorite Zephyr Teachout, Representative Sean Patrick Maloney and Verizon executive Leecia Eve. If elected in November, James stands to become the first Black woman elected to a statewide office in New York. She will face Keith Wofford, the first Black Republican candidate for the office.

While most of Manhattan’s State Senate district Democratic candidates ran unopposed, the biggest news was District 31’s— stretching from Chelsea to Washington Heights— ouster of Democratic incumbent Marisol Alcantara after her defeat by Robert Jackson. Notably around the city, balloters voted out most of the members of the IDC, the Independent Democratic Caucus including Alcantara, a controversial faction of State Senators rubbing elbows with Republicans, which critics believed prevented progressive legislature from passing. The contested Manhattan State Assembly races saw the wins of incumbent Democrat Robert Rodriguez over John Ruiz for East Harlem’s District 68, incumbent Democrat Daniel J. O’Donnell over Ruben Vargas for Upper West Sides’s District 69, Democrat Al Taylor over Guillermo Perez and Luis Tejada for Washington Heights/Harlem’s District 71, incumbent Democrat Carmen de la Rosa over Yomaris Smith and Sosa Jimenez for Upper Manhattan’s District 72, and incumbent Democrat Harvey Epstein over Juan Pagan and Akshay Vaishampayan for midtown’s District 74.

What can we expect in 2018’s General Elections for New York? As Congressional, Senate and Comptroller candidates also gear up for November races, stay tuned to Race To Represent as we continue to bring you exclusive footage of candidates, neighborhood profiles, and debates.

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