New York Gov. Kathy Hochul sailed to reelection Tuesday, defeating Republican Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman and securing a second full four year term. The Associated Press called her victory just as polls closed at 9 p.m.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani praised Hochul soon afterward at the New York Democrats’ election night gathering at the Hilton hotel in Midtown. “She has embraced new ideas,” the socialist mayor told the crowd while celebrating their unlikely political partnership.

Hochul now faces immediate pressure from Mamdani, his Democratic Socialists of America allies, and the broader left flank of her party. They are expected to push their “tax the rich” agenda when the new legislative session begins in January.

Mamdani endorsed Hochul and campaigned with her in New York City during the closing days of the race, apparently helping energize his political base. Hochul thanked him “for standing with me and bringing a whole new energy to New York City.”

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The governor took the stage shortly after 10:30 p.m. as Kelly Clarkson’s “Stronger” played. Hochul then aimed her victory message directly at President Trump, declaring, “This is how we take back our country.”

“He told New Yorkers to pretend he was on the ballot. Well, Mr. President, you got your wish!” Hochul said. The celebration offered a sharp contrast with her much narrower performance four years earlier.

Hochul, New York’s first woman governor, had struggled against Republican challenger Lee Zeldin in 2022 and was blamed by leading Democrats for party losses in the state. This time, she dramatically expanded her advantage over the Republican nominee.

As of 10:42 p.m., Hochul held a 25-point lead over Blakeman, with the vote standing at 62% to 38% and 70% counted. “Tonight wasn’t the result that we all wanted,” Blakeman told supporters at his Long Island watch party.

Blakeman said he called Hochul and told her “she ran a great race.” He added, “You win some, you lose some,” before saying his supporters should pull together and move forward.

The Trump ally, who received the president’s endorsement, focused heavily on taxes during the campaign. He signed a “no new taxes” pledge on Friday and challenged Hochul to sign the same commitment, but she declined to take a firm position against tax increases.

Hochul also avoided committing herself when questioned about giving Mamdani more during the next budget. His first budget received state benefits that included a tax on luxury second homes in New York City.

Blakeman repeatedly attacked Hochul over New York’s sky-high cost of living and Democratic policies involving energy and immigration. His message failed to capture enough independents and dissatisfied Democratic voters in a state where Democrats represent 48% of registered voters.

Polling showed Hochul widening her advantage during the final weeks before Election Day. A Siena University poll in September placed Blakeman nine points behind, while a survey released by the pollster last week showed Hochul leading by 14 points.

The same poll found that only 41% of New Yorkers believed the Empire State was moving in the “right direction.” That was barely changed from 39% in October 2022, one month before Hochul won her first full term by six points.

Hochul built her campaign around “affordability” after Trump’s 2024 victory demonstrated voter frustration with the cost of living. Free rebate checks, free school meals, billions of dollars in child care subsidies, and a ban on phones in schools became central pieces of her pitch.

She also moved on contentious issues involving data centers and the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement efforts. Hochul approved a one year moratorium on new data centers and supported sanctuary state measures designed to resist ICE.

Several controversies from Hochul’s first half decade in office failed to derail her campaign. Those included alleged rigging involving an $11 billion home care program, her press secretary’s resignation amid sexual harassment allegations, and questions surrounding state contracts.

Hochul first became governor after Gov. Andrew Cuomo resigned amid a sexual misconduct scandal in 2021. Her later endorsement of Mamdani helped establish a public detente and helped her defeat a challenge from her estranged lieutenant governor, Antonio Delgado.

She selected former City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams as her running mate and praised Adams during her victory speech. Hochul also recognized state Attorney General Letitia James and Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, who won their respective races.

The new term will run through 2030, potentially bringing Hochul’s tenure to more than nine years. “Thank you for once again putting your trust in me,” she told supporters, adding that serving as governor had been “a privilege of a lifetime.”

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