Kathy Hochul Wins Re-Election as New York Governor, Defeating Trump-Backed Blakeman
Democrat Kathy Hochul has been re-elected governor of New York in the US midterm elections. She defeated Republican candidate Bruce A. Blakeman, who had the direct backing of President Donald Trump.
The result is a major setback for President Trump in New York. The defeat of his endorsed candidate means the Democrats retain their hold on the state's top office.
Hochul first took office as governor in 2021. She assumed the role after Andrew Cuomo resigned amid a sexual scandal.
In 2022 she then beat Republican candidate Lee Zeldin in a competitive race to win her first full term. This victory secures her second elected term.
During the campaign, Hochul strongly highlighted her clashes with the Trump administration. She sharply criticised the president's support for Blakeman and promised to lower the cost of living and invest in education.
Blakeman, the Nassau County Executive, meanwhile portrayed Hochul during the campaign as out of touch with ordinary people. He claimed her policies had made the state unsafe and expensive. He also fiercely criticised Manhattan's congestion pricing programme and Hochul's good relationship with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
Trump himself backed Blakeman. At an event on Long Island last August, Trump mocked Hochul as 'a nightmare on crime', and in October he also campaigned for Blakeman in Syracuse.
