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The 2018 New York gubernatorial election took place on November 6th, 2018, to elect the Governor and Lieutenant Governor of New York, concurrently with elections to the United States Senate, the United States House of Representatives, and other gubernatorial, state, and local elections.
On November 15th, 2016, incumbent Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo announced his intention to seek a third term in office. He faced Republican nominee Donald Trump Jr. and Libertarian nominee Larry Sharpe in the general election.
In his primary election night speech, Congressman Bernie Sanders, Cuomo's sole opponent for the Democratic nomination, did not concede the race or rule out the possibility of continuing his campaign as an independent or third-party candidate. The following morning, Sanders launched his general election campaign on the Working Families Party ticket, whose endorsement he had received in April.
Sanders won the gubernatorial election with 1,203,972 votes, or 29.3% of the ballots cast. He was inaugurated as Governor of New York on January 1st, 2019.
Background[]
The previous election cycle, incumbent Governor Andrew Cuomo decided to seek re-election to a second term in office. Governor Cuomo defeated law professor Zephyr Teachout in a primary election, 61% to 35%, and went on to defeat the Republican nominee, Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino, 54% to 40%, in the general election.
Democratic Primary[]
Won Primary[]
.jpg "Andrew Cuomo 2014 (cropped).jpg (4.66 MB)")
- Andrew Cuomo, incumbent Governor since 2011
- Running mate: Kathy Hochul, incumbent Lieutenant Governor since 2015
Defeated in Primary[]
- Bernie Sanders, U.S. Representative 1993-2001, and since 2003; 2016 presidential candidate
- Running mate: Jumaane Williams, New York City Council Member since 2010
Declined Candidates[]
- Tim Wu, Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission since 2017, candidate for Lt. Governor in 2014
- Eliot Spitzer, former Governor, 2007-2008, candidate for New York City Comptroller in 2013
- Caroline Kennedy, U.S. Senator since 2009 - running for re-election, endorsed Cuomo
- Byron Brown, Mayor of Buffalo since 2006 and Chairman of the New York State Democratic Committee - endorsed Cuomo
- Thomas DiNapoli, Comptroller of New York - running for re-election, endorsed Cuomo
- Eric Schneiderman, former Attorney General of New York - resigned from office
- Zephyr Teachout, U.S. Representative since 2017 - endorsed Sanders
- Dana Reed, Director of International Initiatives for the First Gentleman, since 2017 - endorsed Cuomo
- Cynthia Nixon, actress and activist - endorsed Sanders
- Randi Weingarten, former U.S. Secretary of Education in 2017, President of the American Federation of Teachers, 2002-2017 - endorsed Sanders
- Stephanie Miner, former Mayor of Syracuse, 2010-2018 - endorsed Sanders
Withdrawn Candidates[]
- Terry Gipson, former State Senator, 2013-2014 - endorsed Sanders
- Randy Credico, perennial candidate - endorsed Sharpe
Endorsements[]
Andrew Cuomo
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Bernie Sanders
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Republican Primary[]
Won Primary[]
- Donald Trump Jr., Executive VP of the Trump Organization
- Running mate: Tim Howard, Sheriff of Erie County since 2005
Defeated in Primary[]
- Joe Holland, former Commissioner of the New York Department of Housing and Community Renewal, 1995-1996.
- Marcus Molinaro, Dutchess County Executive since 2012 and former Member of the New York State Assembly, 2007-2011.
Declined Candidates[]
- Rob Astorino, former Westchester County Executive and nominee for Governor in 2014
- John J. Flanagan, Majority Leader of the New York State Senate, since 2015, Senator since 2003
- Donald Trump, businessman, reality TV personality, and Republican nominee for President in 2016 - endorsed Trump Jr.
- Ivanka Trump, businesswoman - running for delegate-at-large in the New York Constitutional Convention, endorsed Trump Jr.
- Carl Paladino, former member of the Buffalo Public Schools Board of Education and nominee for Governor in 2010 - endorsed Trump Jr.
- Rudy Giuliani, former Mayor of New York City, 1994-2001, and former U.S. Senator, 2001-2007 - running for delegate-at-large in the New York Constitutional Convention, endorsed Trump Jr.
Endorsements[]
Donald Trump Jr.
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Third Parties[]
Libertarian Party[]
- Larry Sharpe, business consultant and candidate for Vice President of the United States in 2016
- Running Mate: Andrew Hollister, member of the Rochester City Council since 2017
Endorsements[]
Larry Sharpe
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Working Families Party[]
- Bernie Sanders, U.S. Representative 1993-2001, and since 2003; 2016 presidential candidate
- Running mate: Jumaane Williams, New York City Council Member since 2010
On April 15th, 2018, Sanders won 90.5 percent of the vote at the Working Families Party's statewide committee meeting after Cuomo withdrew himself from consideration at the last minute. Sanders stated that in the event that he did not also secure the Democratic nomination, he would "confer with the Working Families Party and we will make the decision we think is best."
The party nominated New York City Council Member Jumaane Williams for Lieutenant Governor.
The Sanders-Williams ticket would go on to win the general election.
Conservative Party[]
On April 13th, 2018, the Conservative Party executive committee endorsed Marc Molinaro in what Chairman Michael R. Long termed a "not very easy" decision. On April 27th, the endorsement was rescinded. The party's endorsement was later given to Donald Trump, Jr.
Independence Party[]
On December 23rd, 2017, the Independence Party declined to endorse Cuomo for the third consecutive election cycle, choosing instead to endorse Libertarian nominee Larry Sharpe.
Key Issues[]
Transportation[]
The transportation system of New York City is a network of complex infrastructural systems, including one of the largest subway systems in the world; the world's first mechanically ventilated vehicular tunnel; and an aerial tramway. The subway and busing system, with eight million rides a day, are facing increased strain. Over the past six years, delays have almost quadrupled — from 20,000 per month in May 2012 to 76,000 in January 2018. On-time performance is at 60%, lower than any other major transit system in the world.
Education[]
According to the most recent data by the National Education Association, from 2015 to 2016, New York faced a -5.3% decline in public school enrollment, the greatest decline of any state in the country. While New York ranks 2nd in the nation for teacher salary, expenditure per student, and higher education, the state ranks 34th in high school graduation rates.
Agriculture[]
About 23% of the state’s land area - 7.2 million acres - is used by approximately 35,500 farms to produce a diverse array of agricultural and livestock products, including 1.5 million head of cattle, 40,000 acres of apple trees, $25 million worth of maple syrup, and 14.9 billion pounds of milk. Milk is New York’s leading agricultural product, accounting for half the total agricultural receipts for the state.
Since 2012, the number of mid-size farms in the state has declined, in favor of larger farms; although still a leading agricultural state, it the sector is decreasing as a portion of the state's economy. Additionally, federal funding for New York farms has decreased by nearly 25% since its peak in 2010. Additionally, the state's dairy sector has faced increased competition from growing production in California.
Results[]
With 29.3% of the ballots cast, Bernie Sanders won the gubernatorial election with the smallest percentage of votes in New York history since the election of Myron H. Clark in 1854; Clark was also the last person to be elected Governor who was not a member of the Democratic or Republican parties until 2018. At age 79, Sanders is also the oldest individual elected Governor of New York.
Larry Sharpe's gubernatorial campaign was the most successful Libertarian Party campaign in New York history, earning 505,422 votes - 12.3% of the total cast - and carrying Schuyler and Madison counties.
Concurrent Elections[]
Attorney General[]
Former Attorney General Eric Schneiderman (D) initially sought a third term in office before resigning on May 8th, 2018. Incumbent Attorney General Barbara Underwood has announced that she would not run as a candidate for a full term, and thus she served until December 31st, 2018.
Incumbent: Barbara Underwood (D) - Retired
| Nominees | Votes | % | ± | |
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| Letitia James | ||||
| Ken Wofford | ||||
| Richard Epstein | ||||
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| Total | 100% | |||
Comptroller[]
Incumbent: Thomas P. DiNapoli (D) - Won Re-Election
| Nominees | Votes | % | ± | |
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| Thomas P. DiNapoli | ||||
| Jonathan Trichter | ||||
| Hesham El-Meligy | ||||
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| Total | 100% | |||
Constitutional Convention[]
Main Article: Tenth New York Constitutional Convention (The More Things Changed)
The Tenth New York Constitutional Convention was elected to convene in the state capital of Albany on April 2nd, 2019. A ballot proposal was passed on November 7th, 2017, and delegates to the convention were elected on November 6th, 2018.