Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York, the state’s first woman governor, is running for a second term in what is likely to be a closely-watched and expensive race. 

Hochul, formerly the lieutenant governor, ascended to the governor’s office in 2021 following former Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s resignation amid sexual misconduct allegations. She was elected to a full term in 2022 in a close race against Republican Lee Zeldin, who now heads the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, winning 53 percent of the vote.   

Since then, Hochul has had a high profile — including through her often-adversarial relationship with President Donald Trump. Hochul prevailed in a lawsuit over the Trump administration’s effort to block New York City’s congestion pricing plan but has expressed willingness to work with Trump in other areas. 

Hochul is facing a primary challenge from Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado, who in June announced his plans to run against her in the Democratic primary. Hochul has built up a substantial financial war chest, raising $4 million in the first half of 2025 with $17.5 million in cash on hand.   

Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik has been taking steps toward launching a gubernatorial bid, but has said she won’t make a decision about entering the race until after November. Stefanik was nominated as Trump’s ambassador to the United Nations, but the administration pulled her nomination due to concerns over Republicans’ narrow House majority.   

GOP Rep. Mike Lawler, one of three Republicans representing a district won by former Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024, opted against a run for governor and is running for reelection to his Hudson Valley-area House seat.  

“This is the same Mike Lawler who caved to Trump the minute he asked to rip away New Yorkers’ health care,” Hochul wrote on social media. “Of course he doesn’t have the spine to face me.” 

While Democrats are favored to win the governor’s race in solidly blue New York, both the primary and the general election are poised to receive national attention and millions in spending. Republicans hope that Hochul’s underwater approval ratings and recent shifts in the electorate will provide an opening for them — a Siena College poll conducted in May found that 36 percent of voters wanted to reelect Hochul in 2026 while 55 percent wanted to vote for “someone else.” 

In all, 36 governorships are up in 2026. Five Democratic-led states won by Trump in 2024 (Arizona, Kansas, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin) are holding elections for governor in 2026, while two Republican governors in states won by Harris (New Hampshire and Vermont) are up for reelection.