New York Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul has secured another four years in her tough reelection bid against Republican challenger Rep. Lee M. Zeldin. The race was a tougher-than-expected affair for Hochul who took the top executive role after Andrew Cuomo was forced out of the governorship. 

In the last spurt of campaigning, the two candidates focused on encouraging their supporters to turn out on Election Day.  That tactic paid off for Hochul, who packed her weekend with appearances alongside the likes of President Joe Biden and former President Bill Clinton.

Gov. Hochul concentrated her campaign on a series of stops in Manhattan on Monday, making a closing pitch that victory was as simple as arithmetic in a state where her party outnumbers Republicans by more than two to one. 

The New York State Democratic Party cited early voting data, drawn from its voter files, which its said showed 60% of voters were Democrats and 56% were women. Those numbers could reflect the advantage for Hochul, who is the state’s first female governor and a strong supporter of abortion access, an issue that tends to favor her party in the Empire State.