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Cuomo led by about 65 to 35 percent of unofficial returns from the state Board of Elections.
The governor is seeking a third four-year term in the Nov. 6 election against Dutchess County Marc Molinaro, the Republican Party nominee.
Cuomo skipped his election night party in Manhattan, instead celebrating the victory with his family at the governor's mansion in Albany.
Nixon, a longtime activist and former star of "Sex and the City," held her own election night event in Brooklyn.
Nixon of Manhattan is an education activist best known for her acting on TV's "Sex And The City." Her election night party was in Brooklyn.
Nixon's combination of celebrity and progressive values forced Cuomo to wage a more rigorous, costly campaign than expected by an incumbent in a solidly Democratic state.
The Cuomo campaign reportedly spent as much as $500,000 a day in the final days of the campaign, and in July nearly triple what he shelled out during an identical period in 2014 against Zephyr Teachout, according to Nixon's campaign.
By the final week, Cuomo was on track to spend $20 million more on this race than he did in 2014.
Several reports indicated that the Cuomo campaign’s last-minute smear attack on Nixon and Judaism had the desired effect of confusing voters into thinking that the mother of Jewish children was in fact anti-semitic.
The Republican Governors Association released the following statement after Thursday's election:
“Andrew Cuomo has failed the people of New York,” said RGA Communications Director Jon Thompson. “Cuomo wasted millions of taxpayer dollars on failed crony projects and despite years of empty promises, can’t even get the subway to function properly. Adding to his failed leadership, Cuomo insulted millions of veterans by shockingly claiming that America was ‘never that great.’ New York deserves a fresh start but that can only happen without Andrew Cuomo in the governor’s office.”
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