New York 2026 elections

Political landscape in New York

Overview

New York is a Northeastern state with New England on its eastern side, Pennsylvania and New Jersey on its southern side and Canada on its northern side, and it touches both the Atlantic and the Great Lakes. With more than 20 million residents it ranks fourth in population, and it is 27th in area. Downstate includes New York City, the nation's largest city, along with Long Island and the lower Hudson Valley, and holds roughly two-thirds of the population. Upstate reaches east from the Great Lakes as far as Lake Champlain, taking in the Adirondack and Catskill mountains, the capital at Albany, and the cities of Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse. The Dutch founded New Netherland in 1621, and England took it in 1664 as the Province of New York. One of the Thirteen Colonies, New York ratified the Constitution in 1788, becoming the 11th state on July 26 of that year. Development of the interior, beginning with the Erie Canal, helped the state build the standing behind its nickname, the Empire State. New York City hosts the headquarters of the United Nations and is sometimes described as a cultural, financial and media epicenter.

Officeholders

As of October 2026, Governor Kathy Hochul and US Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand are all Democrats.

2026 elections

New York's November 3, 2026 ballot includes the governor's race and elections in all 26 US House districts.