Hochul defeats Republican challenger for New York governor
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) is projected to defeat Republican nominee Lee Zeldin and win her first full term in the governor’s mansion.
NBC News and ABC News called the race for Hochul shortly after 11 p.m. E.T.
Headed into Election Day, Hochul was leading Zeldin, a Trump-endorsed congressional lawmaker, by just a few points. The race was largely seen as a toss-up in the final stretch.
Hochul was the lieutenant governor under former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D), who stepped down last fall amid allegations of sexual harassment and accusations he covered up nursing home deaths during the pandemic.
When she filled Cuomo’s spot, Hochul became the state’s first female governor.
Her reelection campaign got off to a rocky start after the April resignation of Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin (D), who was charged by the FBI in a corruption scandal.
Hochul spent her first year as governor tackling a number of issues, including expanding access to reproductive health care over the spring as the Supreme Court was poised to overturn the constitutional right to abortion.
She also signed into law over the summer major gun control legislation, bolstering restrictions on the permitting process for concealed carry firearms.
Source: TEST FEED1
