Governor Kathy Hochul won a second full term on Wednesday night, defeating Republican challenger Bruce Blakeman in New York's closely watched gubernatorial election, according to projections by the Associated Press. Blakeman conceded early Thursday.

Hochul, a Democrat, built her victory on heavy margins in New York City, where early-voting turnout outpaced the 2022 contest. Her closing television advertisements tied Blakeman, the Nassau County executive, directly to President Donald Trump and his record on abortion and federal funding cuts.

The result came despite friction with organized labor late in the race. A New York City transit union publicly criticized Hochul over subway staffing in the campaign's final days, exposing tensions on her left flank even as she consolidated the Democratic base statewide.

Blakeman sought to make affordability, crime and migrant costs central to his bid, casting Hochul as out of touch with suburban and upstate voters. Republicans had hoped to replicate their 2022 gains in the New York City suburbs, but the margins fell short of the upset they needed.

Hochul's win preserves Democratic control of the governorship ahead of a 2027 legislative session likely to be dominated by housing and transit funding fights. Democratic strategists said the result shows that running against Trump remains effective in blue states heading into the next election cycle.