By the GovBuddy team · Last reviewed October 28, 2026
Where we are
Six days out from Election Day, New York’s November 3 ballot includes the governor’s race, two other statewide offices and elections for the entire state Legislature. Governor Kathy Hochul is seeking another term against Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman. Attorney General Letitia James and Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli are on the ballot for reelection. All 63 State Senate districts and 150 State Assembly districts are scheduled for elections. The results will help determine the composition of the 2027-28 Legislature, which convenes January 6, 2027.
For government affairs teams, lobbying firms, and in-house legislative affairs offices tracking New York, the headline race is the Governor’s. The real work after November 3 is reading what the Legislature’s shape means for the January session.
For a procedural companion on where to reach the right staff after the Legislature reconstitutes, see our guide on how to find New York legislative and committee staff contacts.
Quick Answer
The New York general election is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Statewide offices on the ballot are Governor and Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, and Comptroller. Elections are also scheduled in all 63 State Senate districts, 150 Assembly districts, and 26 U.S. House districts. Governor Hochul and Adrienne Adams are on the Democratic and Working Families lines. Bruce Blakeman and Todd Hood are on the Republican, Conservative and Vote Affordable lines. The New York State Board of Elections’ October 7 amended certification does not list Larry Sharpe as a gubernatorial candidate. The next Legislature convenes January 6, 2027. Source: NYS Board of Elections, amended general-election certification (elections.ny.gov).
On the ballot November 3
Statewide offices. Governor and Lieutenant Governor (run as a joint ticket in the general after separate paths through the primary), Attorney General, Comptroller.
Federal. All 26 US House seats representing New York. Neither of New York’s US Senate seats is up in 2026 (Schumer next in 2028; Gillibrand next in 2030).
State Legislature. Every State Senate seat (63) and every State Assembly seat (150). New York elects its entire Legislature every two years.
Ballot proposals. The state election certification does not list a statewide ballot proposal. Local questions vary by jurisdiction. New York City voters will see five city ballot proposals, including questions on public-space permissions, city procurement, street-safety and property procedures, building permitting, and reserve funds. Check your local sample ballot. Source: NYC Votes, 2026 ballot proposals (nycvotes.org).
Judicial and local. Many counties and the City of New York have judicial seats, district attorney races, and local offices on the ballot in addition to the state and federal contests.
The Governor’s race
Governor Hochul is seeking a second full term after winning the 2022 general election to a full term of her own, having first assumed the office in August 2021. Her running mate is Adrienne Adams. The Working Families Party nominated the Hochul-Adams ticket on its own ballot line.
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman is certified on the Republican, Conservative and Vote Affordable lines, with Madison County Sheriff Todd Hood as his running mate. Blakeman emerged as the Republican nominee after Representative Elise Stefanik withdrew from the race; President Donald Trump subsequently endorsed Blakeman.
The Board of Elections’ amended statewide certification lists those two gubernatorial tickets. Candidate announcements and petition filings should not be confused with a place on the final ballot.
Antonio Delgado’s challenge to Hochul in the Democratic primary ended in February 2026 before the June 23 primary.
For government affairs purposes, the Governor’s margin may matter alongside the result. Analysts will look at it for clues about the incoming administration’s political leverage, although the size of a victory does not by itself determine legislative negotiations. A Blakeman victory could shift executive-branch priorities; whether it produces divided government would depend on the legislative results.
What a government affairs team actually watches election night
The results sheet news coverage focuses on is not quite the results sheet that matters for 2027-28 session planning. Four signals are worth watching specifically:
Legislative leadership district-level margins. Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie are both on the ballot in their own districts. Their margins back home are a political-capital input into how they lead through the next biennium.
Competitive Senate seats in the Hudson Valley, Long Island, and Western New York. The State Senate’s narrow regional swing seats are where the chamber’s partisan math gets reshaped from cycle to cycle. Shifts here directly affect which committees get restructured and which chairs come under pressure.
Assembly turnover. Departures, new members and party changes can affect committee memberships and potential bill sponsors. Those effects become clearer once each chamber organizes and its committee assignments are announced.
Differences in statewide margins. Comparing the Governor’s vote share with the Attorney General’s and Comptroller’s can offer one imperfect signal of candidate-specific support before the budget process. Joint budget hearings can begin in January and continue into February; exact 2027 dates should be checked once announced.
Statewide offices and the enforcement calendar
Attorney General Letitia James is on the ballot for reelection; so is Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli. Both are consequential for government affairs work independent of the Governor’s race.
The Attorney General’s enforcement priorities shape rulemaking requests to agencies, the state’s position in regulatory litigation, and the pace of consumer protection and antitrust activity. The Comptroller’s audit calendar and influence on the budget scrutiny process create the oversight channel that often lands quietly in the Senate Finance and Assembly Ways and Means committees in the January budget cycle.
An incumbent victory may suggest continuity, although enforcement and audit priorities can still change. A new officeholder could bring a different agenda, but neither outcome guarantees an immediate operational reset.
The Legislature after November 3
The 2027-28 Legislature convenes Wednesday, January 6, 2027. Between Election Day and the new session, caucuses and legislative offices can prepare for leadership, staffing and committee decisions. Formal chamber organization and committee assignments follow each chamber’s procedures; they should not be treated as finalized on election night.
For organizations tracking specific policy areas, the two-month window after November 3 is where the quiet work on 2027-28 priorities actually gets done. Which legislators returned, which seats changed hands, who the newcomers are, who their chiefs of staff will be, and which committee assignments open up because of leadership turnover or chair reconfiguration all shape what moves in January.
Looking up returning and newly elected legislators, staff contacts, committee assignments and bill sponsorship history is a practical starting point. GovBuddy Connect helps teams organize that research.
The directory covering New York legislators, staff, and committees is maintained by GovBuddy Connect alongside its California and Ohio directories, so a government affairs team working across state lines can run the post-election refresh in one place rather than three.
What election night triggers for 2027-28 session planning
Three workstreams can begin after Election Day, although official results and personnel decisions may take time to finalize.
Chamber organization. Track leadership decisions and committee assignments as the new chambers organize. Changes in committee leadership can shift policy priorities and outreach targets.
Governor’s agenda setting. The winning administration will prepare for the January State of the State and Executive Budget cycle. The timing and agenda will depend on the outcome and applicable budget deadlines.
Carryover legislation. New York bills do not survive the end of a biennium. Every bill that did not pass by the end of the 2025-26 session must be reintroduced in 2027-28, often by the same sponsor if returning, or by a new sponsor where the original sponsor did not return. The sponsor reset is where many implementation efforts gain or lose momentum.
For 2027-28 session planning specifically, the first substantive deliverables most government affairs teams need are a refreshed legislator contact list reflecting the Nov 3 result, an updated committee chair roster once leadership confirms assignments, and a sponsor map for carryover priorities. The faster those three artifacts land, the faster January outreach can start.
Frequently asked questions
When is election day in New York?
Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Polls are open 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. statewide.
Who is on the ballot for Governor?
The certified tickets are Kathy Hochul and Adrienne Adams (Democratic, Working Families), and Bruce Blakeman and Todd Hood (Republican, Conservative, Vote Affordable). Larry Sharpe is not on the state’s amended certified gubernatorial ballot.
Are all New York State legislators up for reelection in 2026?
Yes. New York elects its entire State Senate (63 seats) and State Assembly (150 seats) every two years. Every seat is on the ballot.
Is the US Senate on the ballot in New York in 2026?
No. Neither of New York’s US Senate seats is up in 2026. Senator Schumer is next up in 2028 and Senator Gillibrand in 2030.
Are there statewide ballot proposals on the 2026 New York ballot?
The state certification does not show a statewide proposal. New York City voters have five city ballot proposals; local ballots vary elsewhere. Check your county board of elections or NYC Votes (nycvotes.org).
When does the 2027-28 Legislative Session begin?
Wednesday, January 6, 2027. Leadership and committee assignments are determined through the chambers’ organizational processes.
Do bills carry over from the 2025-26 session?
Bills do not survive the end of a biennium. Legislation that did not pass by the end of 2026 must be reintroduced in the 2027-28 session.
Sources
- New York State Board of Elections: amended November 3, 2026 candidate certification (October 7), for the certified candidate slate and party lines
- New York State Board of Elections, for voting dates and polling hours
- New York State Senate and New York State Assembly, for current chamber composition and member information
- NYC Votes: five 2026 city ballot proposals
- New York Constitution, Article III, for the Legislature’s structure and chamber powers
- New York State Assembly: 2026 budget hearing schedule, illustrating that hearings may start in January