Democratic candidate Kathy Hochul was re-elected as the governor of New York, beating Republican challenger Lee Zeldin by over 300,000 votes.

“Given the choice, New Yorkers refused to go backward on the long march toward progress,” Hochul said Tuesday night.

Democrats are upset with how close the race was with Hochul winning 52% to Zeldin’s 47%. Democratic citizens in New York far outweigh Republicans, making these results uncommon for New York, which has had Democratic governors for close to two decades. Many believe this surge in Democratic voters who voted for Zeldin is because of the high crime rates in New York. Hochul won in the primaries against other Democratic candidates, Jumaane Williams and Thomas Suozzi.

“I don’t know too much about her, or the issues she supports, but I’m happy that New York finally elected a woman for governor,” said Mr. Goebelbecker, an English teacher at Wayne Hills.

Hochul is the first female governor of New York, she is also the first governor from upstate New York since the 1930s. As Governor, she has prioritized keeping the New York communities safe, bringing down the cost of living for New Yorkers, and investing in schools. Under Governor Hochul’s leadership, New York is implementing the nation’s most aggressive plan to combat climate change and create good-paying clean energy jobs. Hochul is determined to fight for working families, grow our state’s small businesses, and ensure that New York’s economy emerges from COVID stronger than ever before.