Midterm Election: Important races and poll hours in New York
NEW YORK - Voters in New York are weighing in on several important races in the 2022 midterm elections. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 8. The early voting period is over.
In addition to races that could shift the balance of power in the U.S. Congress, New Yorkers are voting for governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, comptroller, state senators, state assembly members, ballot measures, and other local and special contests.
Several high-profile races in the state appear to be closer than expected, including the one for the governor's mansion. And due to redistricting, new court-ordered congressional maps diminished the Democrats' advantage in several districts.
MIDTERM
Here is a rundown of important dates in the election and a briefing on some races of interest.
NEW YORK POLL HOURS AND IMPORTANT DATES FOR THE GENERAL ELECTION
- Saturday, Oct. 29: First day of early voting. [Date passed]
- Sunday, Nov. 6: Last day of early voting. [Date passed]
- Monday, Nov. 7: Last day to apply in person for an absentee ballot for the general election. [Date passed]
- Tuesday, Nov. 8: ELECTION DAY. Polls in New York are open 6 a.m.–9 p.m. Last day to hand-deliver an absentee ballot to either your county board of election or any poll site in your county (by close of polls). Last day to postmark an absentee ballot.
- Tuesday, Nov. 15: Last day for your mailed absentee ballot (with a USPS postmark of Nov. 8 or earlier) to be received by your county board of election.
NEW YORK GOVERNOR CANDIDATES
Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, and Rep. Lee Zeldin, a Republican from Long Island, are the major-party candidates.
A former lieutenant governor, Hochul became the state's first female governor when Andrew Cuomo resigned amid scandal in August 2021, elevating her to the top spot. She is seeking election to the office in her own right.
A solidly "blue" state, New York hasn't had a Republican governor since George Pataki left office 16 years ago. Recent gubernatorial elections haven't been close.
Yet Zeldin, an Army reservist, is making the race interesting. The close ally of former President Donald Trump has been closing the polling gap in recent weeks.
Hochul and Zeldin faced off in their one and only televised debate on Tuesday.
Hochul's running mate is Lt. Gov. Anthony Delgado, a former congressman.
Zeldin's pick for lieutenant governor is Alison Esposito, who retired from the NYPD with the rank of deputy inspector this summer.
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U.S. HOUSE
All 435 seats in the House of Representatives are up for grabs. After the 2020 U.S. Census, New York lost one seat, dropping to 26 districts.
After the state's highest court tossed out the new district maps drawn by Democrats in the Legislature, a court-appointed special master delivered new boundaries that diminished the Dems' advantage in several congressional districts.
These are some noteworthy races.
3rd Congressional District
Democrat Robert Zimmerman and Republican George Devolder-Santos are facing off for an open seat in NY-3.
The incumbent, Rep. Tom Suozzi, ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination for governor rather than re-election.
The district was redrawn to include parts of eastern Queens and northern Nassau County. Although Joe Biden bested Donald Trump 54% to 45% in this district in 2020, election prognosticators predicted a close race.
11th Congressional District
This district, which encompasses all of Staten Island and a small part of Brooklyn, is a Republican stronghold. Yet Democrats have won here a few times.
Democrat Max Rose, an Army veteran of the war in Afghanistan, held the seat for one term until Republican Nicole Malliotakis ousted him in 2020.
This year's election is a Rose-Malliotakis rematch. The Republican incumbent, who has Trump's endorsement, has the advantage in the race, which is rated as "Likely Republican." But Rose is presenting himself as a different kind of Democrat.
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17th Congressional District
After redistricting shifted the borders of his current district (NY-18), Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, the chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, opted to run in NY-17 instead.
The GOP candidate for this Hudson Valley seat is Assemblyman Mike Lawler, who turned what was expected to be a likely Dem win (Biden carried the area by a 10-point margin) into a toss-up, according to Cook Political Report.
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OTHER STATEWIDE RACES
U.S. Senator
Democrat Chuck Schumer, the Senate majority leader, is seeking election to his fifth term in the Senate. His challengers are Republican political news commentator Joe Pinion and third-party candidate Diane Sare.
Schumer hasn't faced a strong challenge in decades. In each of his last three elections, he secured no less than 66% of the vote.
Attorney General
Democrat Letitia James, the incumbent attorney general, and Republican Michael Henry, an attorney in private practice, are facing off.
Shortly after her office issued a damning report about the sexual harassment claims against former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, James initially launched a campaign for governor about a year ago. However, she ended her bid a few months later and said she'd seek re-election as AG instead.
Henry has a commercial litigation law practice in New York City. He has told reporters that he wants to reform the attorney general's office and doesn't have any higher political ambitions than that. Henry's biggest challenge could be overcoming his lack of name recognition — a recent Siena College poll showed that 92% of voters don't seem to know him.
Comptroller
Democrat Thomas DiNapoli, who has held the office since 2007, is expected to win reelection against challenger Paul Rodriguez, the GOP nominee.
NY BALLOT PROPOSALS
One proposal is on the ballot statewide: A measure to issue $4.2 billion in general obligation bonds to pay for "environmental protection, natural restoration, resiliency, and clean energy projects" (Proposal 1).
New York City voters will also vote on three more proposals: Adding a statement of values to the City Charter (Proposal 2)… Creating a racial equity commission (Proposal 3)… Requiring the city to track the true cost of living (Proposal 3).
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