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Your guide to voting in New York's 2026 elections for governor and Congress

By

Walter Wuthmann

,

Jon Campbell

and

Brigid Bergin

Published Oct 23, 2026 at 6:30 a.m. ET

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Voters line up at the polls.

Stephanie Keith/Getty Images

By

Walter Wuthmann

,

Jon Campbell

and

Brigid Bergin

Published Oct 23, 2026 at 6:30 a.m. ET

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Election Day is Nov. 3, and it’s time to choose New York’s next governor, attorney general, and congressmembers.

Will voters give Gov. Kathy Hochul a second full term in office? Or will they replace her with Bruce Blakeman, the Republican Nassau County executive with close ties to President Donald Trump? Will Attorney General Letitia James retain her role as the state’s top law enforcement official? And how will New York City voters decide on a series of ballot questions championed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani?

As you wait in line to cast your ballot, here’s a rundown of the candidates, ballot questions and other information.

How and when to vote in NYC

If you want to vote in person, you can find your polling site at vote.nyc.

But you’ll need to remember these key dates:

Oct. 24: In-person early voting begins. Find your early polling site here. Note that hours differ by day, so check the schedule before you go vote. This is also the last day for new voter registration, either online or in-person at your poll site.

Nov. 1: Early voting ends.

Nov. 2: Last day to apply in-person for a mail or absentee ballot at your county’s Board of Elections office.

Nov. 3: Election Day. Polls are open 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Find your polling site here. (It’s likely different from your early-voting site). Mail-in ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 3.

New York’s candidates for governor

Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

Kathy Hochul, Democrat (incumbent)

Policy priorities: Universal childcare and building more housing. Enacted a moratorium on large data centers. Sent utility rebate checks of up to $200.

Resume: Became the state’s first female governor in 2021 after Andrew Cuomo's resignation. Previously served as lieutenant governor, U.S. representative and Erie County clerk.

Quote: “ Your family is my fight.”

Howard Schnapp/Newsday RM via Getty Images

Bruce Blakeman, Republican

Policy priorities: Cutting income taxes and lowering utility bills. Opposes sanctuary policies that restrict the state’s cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Opposes data center moratorium.

Resume: First elected Nassau County executive in 2021. Previously served as Hempstead town councilmember and Port Authority commissioner.

Quote: “We can’t afford four more years of Kathy Hochul.”

New York’s candidates for attorney general

Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

Letitia James, Democrat (incumbent)

Policy priorities: Crackdown on illegal firearms and ghost guns, protecting immigrants’ legal rights, and going after predatory lenders and mortgage providers. Has sued the Trump administration over 50 times.

Resume: Attorney general since 2019. Previously served as New York City's public advocate, making her the first Black woman to win and hold citywide office, and a New York City Councilmember representing parts of Brooklyn.

Quote: “No one is above the law, not even the President.”

Jim Franco/Albany Times Union via Getty Images

Saritha Komatireddy, Republican

Policy priorities: More prosecution of street crime, like shoplifting and drug trafficking. Audit and investigate homeless shelters. Investigate waste, fraud and abuse in the public and private sectors.

Resume: Former assistant U.S. attorney in Brooklyn, where she helped prosecute leaders of Al-Qaeda, Islamic State, and Mexican drug cartels. Former chief of staff of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration under the Biden administration.

Quote: “Public safety is not optional. It’s time for accountability, action and real change.”

New York’s candidates for state comptroller

Tom DiNapoli, Democrat (incumbent)

Policy priorities: Transition fund investments to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040. Audit every school district in the state on a rotating cycle. Grew the pension fund to its historic high of $291 billion.

Resume: Second longest-serving comptroller in state history, first elected to the position in 2007. Former state assemblymember representing Nassau County.

Quote: “Transparency is essential so New Yorkers can hold their government and elected officials accountable.”

Joseph Hernandez, Republican

Policy priorities: Aggressively audit state agencies, public authorities and programs. Review state contracts. Create a $10 billion “Empire Opportunity Fund” to invest in emerging businesses and industries, similar to a sovereign wealth fund.

Resume: Longtime Wall Street investor, currently the founder and senior managing partner of Blue Water Venture Partners. Cuban refugee who fled the country at age 7.

Quote: “The fraud and abuse in New York is out of control.”

NYC ballot questions

Byron Smith/Getty Images

Voters will find five questions on the back of their ballot. You can read our full breakdown of every question here.

The commission that wrote the proposals says they would:

Congressional races

17th District, Northern Westchester County and the Hudson Valley

Mike Lawler, Republican (incumbent)

Policy priorities: Led battle to expand the state and local tax deduction. Opposes sanctuary policies. Supports reopening Indian Point nuclear plant.

Resume: First elected to the House in 2022. Previously served in the state Assembly.

Quote: “ I'm proud of the fact that I've been rated among the most bipartisan and effective members of Congress.”

Cait Conley, Democrat

Policy priorities: Supports a public option for health insurance, banning congressmembers from trading stocks and creating a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants living in the United States.

Resume: Former director for counterterrorism on the National Security Council under President Joe Biden. Army officer who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Quote: “You deserve better. You deserve a patriot, not a puppet.”

3rd District, Northeast Queens and parts of Nassau and Suffolk counties

Tom Suozzi, Democrat (incumbent)

Policy priorities: Opposes Trump’s tariffs and the war in Iran. Supports an all-of-the-above approach to energy production, including green energy, natural gas and nuclear.

Resume: First elected to Congress in 2016. Retired to run for governor in 2022, lost the primary to Gov. Kathy Hochul. Re-elected to his old seat in 2024 after Congress expelled Rep. George Santos.

Quote: “I will fight for you against the extremists.”

Mike LiPetri, Republican

Policy priorities: Supports deporting undocumented immigrants with criminal records. Opposes boycotts of Israel and regulations on cryptocurrency.

Resume: Served in the state Assembly from 2019-2021. Ran for this seat in 2024 and lost to Suozzi.

Quote: “I stood up to the radical left agenda that threatened our quality of life and drove up our cost of living.”

4th District, Nassau County

Laura Gillen, Democrat (incumbent)

Policy priorities: Supports eliminating the cap on the state and local tax deduction, and extending temporary protected status for Haitians living in the United States. Opposes cuts to Medicaid.

Resume: First elected to the seat in 2024. Former town supervisor of Hempstead.

Quote: “My number one priority is representing Long Islanders, not Trump.”

Jeanine Driscoll, Republican

Policy priorities: Supports restoring the full state and local tax deduction and strengthening the United States' border with Mexico.

Resume: Town of Hempstead receiver of taxes, first elected in 2019.

Quote: “There’s a lot of middle-class people in the district who need relief that’s not being offered to them right now through the current representation.”

1st District, Suffolk County

Nick LaLota, Republican (incumbent)

Policy priorities: Supports deporting undocumented immigrants with criminal records and tax cuts. Opposes offshore drilling on Long Island.

Resume: First elected to Congress in 2022. Served three deployments overseas as a naval officer.

Quote: “My mission is simple: to make Suffolk safer and more affordable for every family that calls this amazing place home.”

Christopher Gallant, Democrat

Policy priorities: Supports developing more housing near transit stations, refinancing federal student loans, and expanding child tax credits.

Resume: Former Army pilot and air traffic controller local union president.

Quote: “I’m not running to make noise. I’m running to do the work.”

11th District, Staten Island and South Brooklyn

Nicole Malliotakis, Republican (incumbent)

Policy priorities: Increase funding for the Department of Homeland Security and ICE. Suspend the federal gas tax to reduce energy costs.

Resume: First elected to the House in 2020. Previously served in the state Assembly.

Quote: “I said I was going to fight to secure our border and deport criminals from our streets and that’s exactly what we did.”

Mike DeCillis, Democrat

Policy priorities: Raise the corporate tax rate and create a single-payer healthcare system.

Resume: Former first responder, NYPD officer and special education teacher.

Quote: “I know that everyone in the district deserves to have their voice heard in government, and that they are currently not.”

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Walter Wuthmann

Walter Wuthmann is a reporter covering public safety and the legal system.

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Jon Campbell

Twitter

Jon Campbell covers the New York State Capitol for WNYC and Gothamist. Prior to that, he covered the Capitol for more than a decade for the USA TODAY Network. He has twice earned the Walter T. Brown Memorial Award, an honor given annually by the Legislative Correspondents Association alumni for outstanding state government coverage. Jon grew up in the Buffalo area and graduated from the University at Albany. Got a tip? Email Jon at [email protected] or Signal at JonCampbellNY.90.

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Brigid Bergin

Twitter

Brigid Bergin is an award-winning senior reporter on the People and Power desk. She is fiercely committed to telling stories that help people engage and support democracy. In 2022, she hosted a live, ten-week call-in politics show ahead of the midterm elections called The People's Guide to Power. Brigid's reporting in 2017 included some of the first coverage of a political newcomer now known as AOC. In 2016, she broke the news of a voter purge in Brooklyn just days before New York’s presidential primary, triggering city, state and federal investigations. Brigid also guest hosts The Brian Lehrer Show and All Of It. She graduated from the University at Albany and the CUNY Newmark School of Journalism. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or Signal 917-723-4719.

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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

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