Overview
- With early voting ending Sunday, both campaigns have shifted to intensive get-out-the-vote operations as hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers have already cast ballots.
- Blakeman publicly signed a 'no new taxes' pledge and is running on broad tax cuts, energy expansion and tougher crime policies while touting his record as Nassau County executive.
- Hochul is stressing targeted middle- and lower-income tax relief, investments in public safety and her regulatory actions, including a one-year moratorium on large data centers and the RAISE Act on AI safety.
- The race has been nationalized by President Donald Trump's visible support for Blakeman and by Democrats' warnings that Republican control would bring 'Trump-style' leadership to Albany.
- Voters say affordability and utility bills are top concerns, and the campaign outcome could shape state policy on taxes, energy projects, immigration enforcement and tech regulation.