# Kathy Hochul Democratic Governor of New York since August 24, 2021, when she became the state's **first woman governor** on the resignation of [[Andrew Cuomo]]. She won a full term in 2022 over [[Lee Zeldin]] by about six points, a weak margin for a Democrat in New York, and is running for a second full term on November 3, 2026. Before that she was lieutenant governor (2015–2021) and briefly represented a Buffalo-area House district (2011–2013). ## The 2026 race Hochul cleared her own party faster than her 2022 margin suggested she would. - **The left challenge collapsed.** Her lieutenant governor, [[Antonio Delgado]], ran against her with Buffalo organizer [[India Walton]] as his running mate. He suspended on February 10, 2026, after Hochul took about 85% at the state convention and picked up endorsements from [[Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez]] and New York City mayor [[Zohran Mamdani]]. The [[Working Families Party]] held its line with a placeholder and endorsed her on August 21, 2026. - **Running mate.** On February 4, 2026 she named former New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams as her lieutenant-governor pick. - **The Republican field reset.** [[Elise Stefanik]] withdrew on December 19, 2025, after [[Donald Trump]] declined to endorse her. Trump endorsed Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman the next day, and Blakeman (running mate Todd Hood) ran unopposed on June 23. He also carries the Conservative Party line. - **Where it stands.** Two polls released September 23, 2026 put her ahead: Siena had her up 50–41 among likely voters, and Quinnipiac had her up 58–39. Quinnipiac put her job approval at 48–44. ## Fights with the administration - **Congestion pricing.** Manhattan's congestion toll started in January 2025. Transportation Secretary [[Sean Duffy]] then tried to revoke federal approval. On March 3, 2026, Judge Lewis Liman ruled that the Transportation Department had no unilateral power to end a tolling project a prior administration had approved. The administration said it was weighing an appeal. - **Redistricting.** New York is one of the Democratic states that held off on mid-decade countermeasures to the Republican map changes; see [[Redistricting Timeline 2025-2026]]. - **Immigration and federal funding** round out the conflict, and they are the terrain Blakeman runs on. ## RWKB angle The 2026 race tests whether a Trump-endorsed suburban county executive can nationalize a blue-state governor's race around affordability. The September polling says not yet. By the same polling, the party's left wing, Mamdani included, is helping Hochul rather than hurting her. ## Related - [[Andrew Cuomo]]: the predecessor whose resignation made her governor - [[Antonio Delgado]] · [[India Walton]]: the short-lived 2026 primary challenge - [[Elise Stefanik]]: the Republican front-runner who withdrew - [[Zohran Mamdani]] · [[Working Families Party]]: the left's endorsements - [[Sean Duffy]]: the congestion-pricing revocation - [[2026 Governor Races Hub]] · [[2026 Midterms Hub]] · [[NY-04-2026]]