New York Primary results: Letitia James wins Democrat race for attorney general after Andrew Cuomo takes governor race against Cynthia Nixon
The wave of progressive newcomers threaten to shake up Albany establishment, with Letitia James and Julia Salazar securing seats in New York's Democratic primaries
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Your support makes all the difference.Andrew Cuomo has won the Democrat primary for New York governor, defeating challenger Cynthia Nixon after a highly anticipated election.
Mr Cuomo's win has not come as a surprise, with far greater financial resources going into the race, and polls suggesting he held a strong lead before voting began.
His challenger, Ms Nixon, an activist and star of Sex and the City, had hoped to become the latest liberal challenger to unseat a powerful insider in Albany's Democratic establishment. The night did award some progressive candidates, however, including a State Senate seat for first-time Latina candidate, 27-year-old Julia Salazar, as well as Letitia James, New York's public advocate, who will now serve as the state attorney general.
Mr Cuomo's campaign dismissed Ms Nixon as inexperienced and touted the governor's work to push back against President Donald Trump.
His victory comes despite several missteps, including a widely condemned mailer that questioned Ms Nixon's support for Jewish people. She has two Jewish children and called the attack “sleazy.”
Mr Cuomo will face Republican Marc Molinaro and independent Stephanie Miner in November's general election.
Ms Nixon endorsed several progressive candidates vying for positions in Thursday’s election, including Zephyr Teachout, who ran against Ms James for state attorney general, as well as Jumaane Williams, who ran for lieutenant governor.
The Democratic Party’s primaries took most of the state's media focus for the day, with just one Republican vying for the governor’s seat. Marc Molinaro, a Dutchess County executive and former member of the New York State Assembly, has also criticised the two-term Democratic incumbent over his handling of the city’s subway system and other major issues.
Follow along with The Independent’s live updates throughout the night, as New Yorkers decide the outcome of the crucial 2018 primaries.
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Candidates have been racing against the clock during their last-minute efforts to get out the vote, as a progressive wave threatens to dismantle the Democratic establishment in Albany.
Jumaane Williams, who is running to become the next state lieutenant governor, is one of those candidates. He has been aggressively campaigning throughout the state while hoping for a surprise electoral victory, much like that of political newcomer Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Andrew Cuomo had a busy day as governor while simultaneously campaigning to effectively secure a third-term against his progressive opponent, Cynthia Nixon.
First, he deployed the New York Air National Guard to assist in Hurricane Florence response efforts, before voting in the Democratic primaries. Then Mr Cuomo attacked Donald Trump, after the president accused Democrats of inflating the death toll in Hurricane Maria “to make me look bad."
Polls are closing at 9:00 p.m. in New York as voters decide whether the Democratic establishment in New York remains in Albany, or if a wave of progressive newcomers will take over power across the state.
The New York Attorney General’s Office has been operating a hotline for any voters encountering issues while voting throughout the day. As of now, residents have just thirty minutes left to cast their ballots.
Meanwhile in Washington, Democrats and Republicans have once again clashed over the confirmation of Donald Trump's pick for the Supreme Court Brett Kavanaugh.
Voters and candidates alike are anticipating the first wave of announcements from polling sites across New York, as a slate of progressive newcomers threaten the Democratic establishment in Albany.
Cynthia Nixon and a group of ideologically like-minded candidates — including State Senate first-time Latina candidate Julia Salazar and Zephyr Teachout, who is vying to become attorney general — have formed a “progressive sisterhood” to disrupt the New York political Boys Club.
Early reporting shows good signs for progressive candidates, with Letitia James holding a strong leading in initial reports.
Still, the night is far from over!
Letitia James, whose constituents refer to as Tish James, was the unlikely underdog candidate in New York’s Democratic primaries to become the next attorney general.
Many progressive residents supported the Bernie Sanders-backed Zephyr Teachout, who was also endorsed by progressive activist and gubernatorial candidate Cynthia Nixon, as well as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who won an unprecedented victory in a New York Democratic primary earlier this summer.
However, with just single-digit reporting in from the state’s polling sites — it appears the odds may be in her favor.
Tish James is holding a strong lead against her opponents in the toss up race for attorney general, according to initial data. Follow along with The independent’s live coverage as New York continues to determine its next set of leadership in Albany.
With initial reports arriving from polling sites across the state, it appears Andrew Cuomo will secure the Democratic nomination to become New York's next governor. The two-term incumbent defeated a progressive activist candidate, as Cynthia Nixon attempted to disrupt New York's Democratic establishment in Albany along with a progressive slate of political newcomers, including Julia Salazar, Zephyr Teachout and others.
Mr Cuomo's triumph doesn't come as a surprise. Virtually every recent public poll showed the incumbent with an big lead over his progressive challenger. He also drastically outspent Nixon in the race.
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