Results: Democratic incumbent Gov. Kathy Hochul defeats Republican Lee Zeldin in New York's gubernatorial election

• Gov. Kathy Hochul defeated Republican Rep. Lee Zeldin in New York's gubernatorial race.

• Appointed governor following the resignation of Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Hochul is the first woman to be governor of New York.

• If elected, Zeldin would have dismantled New York's Democratic trifecta, where Democrats hold the governorship and majorities in both legislative chambers.

Democratic incumbent Gov. Kathy Hochul defeated Republican Rep. Lee Zeldin in New York's gubernatorial election.

Polls closed in the state at 9 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.

New York's gubernatorial candidates

Hochul, former lieutenant governor of New York, became governor following the resignation of Gov. Andrew Cuomo on August 24, 2021. Cuomo, a three-term governor, resigned after an investigation that found he sexually harassed at least 11 women.

Hochul, who became the first woman to hold the position, and the first Buffalonian in more than a century to lead New York, ran on a joint ticket with Cuomo in 2014 and 2018. Prior to her election as lieutenant governor, Hochul served a single term in the US House representing New York's 26th Congressional District, in the state's western region.

Zeldin, Hochul's challenger, serves in the US House representing New York's 1st Congressional District. The four-term congressman serves on the House Committees on Financial Services and Foreign Affairs.

Prior to being elected to the US House, Zeldin served four years in the New York State Senate. In addition to his congressional duties, Zeldin, an Army veteran, serves as a lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserves.

While this race was thought to be an easy victory for Hochul, earning her a full four-year term, polls have indicated the race has tightened in the race's final weeks.

President Joe Biden and former President Bill Clinton even campaigned for Hochul in the days before Election Day — a sign that national Democrats are concerned about Hochul's prospects in generally liberal-leaning New York.

New York's voting history

New York backed Joe Biden over Trump, giving the now-president a 23 percentage point margin of victory in 2020. The state has voted Democratic in the last nine presidential elections.

What experts say

The race between Hochul and Zeldin is rated as "likely Democratic" by Inside Elections, "likely Democratic" by The Cook Political Report, and "leans Democratic" by Sabato's Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics.

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