© Frank Becerra Jr/The Journal News / USA TODAY NETWORK
(Albany, NY) -The 2026 New York gubernatorial election is scheduled to take place on November 3, 2026. Incumbent Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul took office on August 24, 2021, upon the resignation of Andrew Cuomo. Hochul was elected to a full term in 2022 with 53.1% of the vote in the closest New York gubernatorial election since 1994. Hochul announced her intention to run for re-election in July 2024.
Many New Yorkers, especially those in the tri-state area, blame Governor Hochul for congestion pricing which she has been a strong proponent of. They say tolls have increased along with bus and train fares. Hochul’s 2026 platform is ambitious.
It focuses on putting money back in New Yorkers’ pockets via tax cuts and rebates, significant investments in childcare, mental health, education (free school meals), public safety, and technology (AI), alongside major transit funding for the MTA, all while aiming for a balanced budget without income tax hikes. Key initiatives include $1 billion in middle-class tax cuts, a large expansion of the Child Tax Credit, universal free school meals, mental health care reform (including involuntary commitment laws), AI innovation, and significant climate investments.
Incumbent Governor Hochul is currently facing Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado, wo launched his campaign for the Democratic nomination on June 2, 2025. He’s endorsed by
- Citizen Action New York
- Food & Water Action
- Third Act NYC and Upstate New York
- New York Communities for Change
Delgado’s platform centers on tackling New York’s affordability crisis by focusing on housing, childcare, and healthcare, advocating for massive renewable energy expansion, promoting economic fairness, and emphasizing “moral leadership,” with key priorities including affordable living, battling corporate power, and creating a more equitable state, challenging the status quo in NY.
Republicans have not won a statewide election in New York since George Pataki was re-elected Governor in 2002. There will be a Republican primary. U.S. representative Elise Stefanik was considered a potential candidate throughout 2025. She then formally announced her candidacy on November 7, 2025. A July 2025 Siena poll showed Stefanik leading two other potential Republican gubernatorial candidates, U.S. Rep. Mike Lawler and Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman.
Stefanik’s platform for her 2026 New York gubernatorial campaign is focused on making New York “affordable and safe again”. Her key policy positions center on reducing taxes, expanding energy production, enhancing public safety, and supporting parents’ rights. She wants to repeal New York’s 2019 bail reform laws, which eliminated cash bail for many charges, arguing they contribute to rising crime rates. Stefanik has also called for an end to “sanctuary city” policies and an end to taxpayer funding for services for undocumented immigrants.
The 70-year old Blakeman declared his candidacy on December 9th, 2025. He’s an attorney, currently serving as the 10th county executive of Nassau County, New York. He was elected in the 2021 election, defeating Democratic incumbent Laura Curran. He’s a born and raised Long Islander who father served as an Assemblyman. Blakeman was first elected to the Hempstead Town Council, then became a Nassau County Legislator. He has a background in homeland security and served as a commissioner of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
Blakeman’s platform focuses on making New York more affordable, putting “New York first” by opposing higher corporate taxes, and emphasizing business/political coalition-building against unfavorable state policies, signaling his platform is centered on fiscal conservatism and pro-business initiatives to attract investment and growth.
