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Hochul Elected To First Full Term As NY Governor, Defeats Trump-Backed Zeldin
This story has been updated.
New York’s Democratic incumbent Gov. Kathy Hochul has been elected to her first full term in office, fending off her Republican challenger, Long Island Rep. Lee Zeldin, NBC News projects.
Hochul is leading Zeldin, who represents the state’s 1st Congressional District covering much of Suffolk County, by five percentage points, 52.7 to 47.3 percent, as of 6 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 9, with 93 percent of the vote counted.
"I'm deeply honored to be elected Governor of the State of New York," Hochul posted on Twitter shortly after the race was called.
BREAKING: I’m…
Who Is Kathy Hochul? Cuomo Resignation Shifts Focus To NY's Soon-To-Be First Female Governor
Longtime Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul is set to become New York’s first female governor when she officially takes over for Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who announced his resignation, effective later this month.
On Tuesday, Aug. 10, Cuomo announced that he would be stepping away from Albany, effective in 14 days on Tuesday, Aug. 24, paving the way for Hochul (whose last name is pronounced HOKE-ul and rhymes with "Local") to step in and seek to stabilize what has become a highly political climate in New York.
Hochul, age 62, has served as Cuomo’s top lieutenant for nearly seven years, the longest tenure of an…