Democratic incumbent Kathy Hochul has defeated Republican challenger Rep. Lee Zeldin to become governor of New York, according to projections from NBC News, CNN, and ABC News.
The victory makes Hochul the first woman ever elected to the role, though she's served in it since former Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) resigned amid sexual harassment allegations in 2021. This will be her first full term.
"I'm deeply honored to be elected governor of the state of New York," she tweeted Tuesday.
With 74 percent of the vote tallied as of midnight ET, Hochul led Zeldin 54.8 percent to 45.2, per NBC News.
Though Hochul was initially viewed as the favorite in the solidly blue New York, the race against the former President Donald Trump-backed Zeldin "was largely seen as a toss-up in the final stretch," when concerns about crime and the economy found their way to the forefront of the contest, The Hill notes.
Zeldin, an ally of Trump's, also voted to overturn the results of the 2020 election.