Hochul wins a second full term with 76% of the city's vote, and a former Council Speaker becomes lieutenant governor

Gov. Kathy Hochul won a second full term on Tuesday, defeating Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman. CBS News projected her the winner Tuesday night. Statewide she led by about 20 points with 88% of votes counted, New York Focus reported. Blakeman conceded after gathering with supporters in Nassau County. "I told her she ran a great race," he said, according to ABC7.

Her running mate, former City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, will become lieutenant governor. Hochul named Adams as her running mate in February. ABC7 reported Wednesday that the two make up the first all-woman statewide executive team in state history.

Why it matters to residents: Albany controls much of what the city can do, from the MTA and rent laws to taxes and school governance. The city sends the state its biggest list of requests every year, and the governor signs or vetoes the bills that answer them.

The city's vote

Unofficial results as of 12:42 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 4, from the Board of Elections. These cover only the city's portion of statewide races; the state Board of Elections reports the full count.

• Governor: Hochul and Adams 1,505,223 (76.1%), Blakeman and Todd Hood 468,543 (23.7%), across the Democratic, Working Families, Republican, Conservative and Vote Affordable lines (results).
• Attorney General: Letitia James 75.6%, Saritha Komatireddy 24.3% (results).
• State Comptroller: Tom DiNapoli 78.5%, Joseph Hernandez 21.3% (results).

By borough, Hochul won 83.2% in the Bronx, 82.2% in Manhattan, 79.4% in Brooklyn and 72.0% in Queens. Blakeman won Staten Island, 58.4% to 41.4% (borough results). About 208,000 of Hochul's city votes came on the Working Families line.

In her victory speech, Hochul thanked Mayor Zohran Mamdani for bringing "a whole new energy" to the city, CBS News reported. Blakeman had criticized her working relationship with the mayor during the campaign, CBS reported.

What our records add

Adams left the Council at the end of 2025. She represented District 28 in southeast Queens and was Speaker from 2022 through 2025. Council Member Ty Hankerson now holds the seat, and Speaker Julie Menin leads the Council.

The Council's open requests to the governor. Since January, members have introduced 278 resolutions that ask the state Legislature to pass, and the governor to sign, a specific bill. Most are still in committee. Among those the full Council adopted:

• Res. 143, from Kevin C. Riley, for unlimited transfers within two hours of paying an MTA fare, adopted June 30
• Res. 395, from Frank Morano, to bar homeowners' insurance increases of more than 25% a year, adopted Aug. 13
• Res. 387, from Gale A. Brewer, on the cost of property insurance for affordable housing, adopted Aug. 13

A resolution is a request; it has no force of law. Our state Legislature results story has the full count.

Congestion pricing stays on the table. A week before the vote, Blakeman pledged to end the Manhattan congestion toll. We reported then where Council members stand on the record. The MTA's separate court fight over the toll, described in that story, continues.

What's next

The state Board of Elections certifies statewide results after counties finish counting absentee, military and affidavit ballots. The new term begins Jan. 1, and the Legislature returns to Albany in January, when the governor presents her budget. The Council's next stated meeting is Nov. 12.