Early voting begins in New York: voters decide on governor, attorney general and key House races
Early voting began in New York on Saturday, and voters in the Empire State could help decide which party will control the U.S. House of Representatives over the next two years — which is why national politics is watching New York closely, not just the state itself.
Governor Kathy Hochul and U.S. Rep. Mike Lawler are both hoping to keep their seats. Republicans are seeking to fend off Democratic attempts to flip congressional seats in the suburbs north of New York City and in the Adirondack Mountains near the Canadian border.
New Yorkers will also decide whether Democrats Kathy Hochul and Letitia James should each be elected to an additional term as governor and attorney general respectively.
Hochul became the state's first female governor in 2021 after then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo resigned amid sexual harassment allegations — accusations he denied. Hochul was the state's lieutenant governor at the time.
Unlike most New York governors, Hochul is not from New York City or its suburbs but from the Buffalo area, more than a six-hour drive away. A moderate Democrat, she was largely unknown to voters in the metropolitan area, where much of the state's population lives, until Cuomo's resignation. She defeated Republican Lee Zeldin in 2022, winning a full term in Albany.
Since then, Hochul has spent significant time downstate, recently collaborating with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on initiatives like expanded childcare access. Mamdani campaigned with Hochul on Friday and has released videos on social media supporting her campaign.
Hochul's Republican opponent in 2026, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, has worked to tie Hochul to Mamdani throughout his campaign, at one point issuing a statement referring to the 'Hochul-Mamdani agenda.'
Blakeman has centred his gubernatorial campaign on fighting crime and lowering taxes in New York State. He has received President Donald Trump's endorsement and been adamant in his support of the president, even campaigning with him at a rally in Syracuse in early October.
A recent Quinnipiac University poll of likely New York voters found 55 percent would support Hochul and 41 percent Blakeman.
In the attorney general's race, incumbent Letitia James faces Republican former Drug Enforcement Administration Chief of Staff Saritha Komatireddy. James gained national attention through her 2022 lawsuit against Trump, his company and family members alleging net-worth inflation; the lawsuit led to a $454 million civil fraud judgment that was thrown out by an appeals court in 2025.
While Komatireddy has not historically been a household name, many of her campaign materials using the 'just fight crime' branding have gained significant attention on social media.
One of the most high-profile races in the country is in New York's 17th Congressional District in the lower Hudson Valley, where incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Lawler is being challenged by Democrat Cait Conley. The district is home to everyone from former President Bill Clinton to New York City investment bankers to thousands of police officers.
Trump attended a rally with Lawler in the district in May, while former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg came to the district in September to campaign with Conley.
The 17th is not the only competitive race near Manhattan. In the 3rd Congressional District, straddling Nassau and Queens, incumbent Democratic U.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi is being challenged by Republican Michael LiPetri, a former state assemblyman who has run for Congress twice before.
In New York's 21st Congressional District, stretching from the historically industrial Mohawk Valley along the Erie Canal to the Canadian border, Democrats hope 2026 is their best chance to flip the seat currently held by Republican U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik.
Stefanik previously planned to seek the Republican gubernatorial nomination, but dropped out of the governor's race and announced she would not seek reelection to the House.
Republican Anthony Constantino, a sticker company CEO endorsed by Trump, faces Democratic farmer Blake Gendebien in the district. Trump endorsed Constantino in the Republican primary over a state lawmaker who had been endorsed by the head of New York State's Republican Party. Tariffs and American relations with Canada have been top of mind in parts of the district.
Early voting concludes on November 1. Election Day is November 3. When the votes are counted, New York's results will not only reshape power in Albany but could also have a major effect on the fight for control of the House in Washington.
