Political party strength in New York (state)
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New York is a Democratic stronghold and is considered one of the "Big Three" Democratic strongholds alongside California and Illinois. The following table indicates the party of elected officials in the U.S. state of New York:
- Governor
- Lieutenant Governor
- Secretary of State (before 1927)
- Attorney General
- State Comptroller
- Treasurer (before 1927)
The table also indicates the historical party composition in the:
- State Senate
- State Assembly
- State delegation to the United States Senate
- State delegation to the United States House of Representatives (also see New York's congressional districts)
For years in which a presidential election was held, the table indicates which party's nominees received the state's electoral votes.
1777–1926
[edit]1927–present
[edit]| Year | Executive offices | State Legislature | United States Congress | Electoral votes | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | Lt. Governor | Attorney General | Comptroller | Senate | Assembly | Senator (Class I) |
Senator (Class III) |
House | ||
| 1927 | Al Smith (D) | Edwin Corning (D) | Albert Ottinger (R) | Morris S. Tremaine (D)[d] | 27R, 24D | 84R, 66D | Royal S. Copeland (D)[d] | Robert F. Wagner (D)[d] | 25D, 18R | |
| 1928 | 88R, 62D | Herbert Hoover/ Charles Curtis (R) 
| ||||||||
| 1929 | Franklin D. Roosevelt (D) | Herbert H. Lehman (D) | Hamilton Ward Jr. (R) | 89R, 61D | 23D, 20R | |||||
| 1930 | 86R, 63D, 1 vac. | |||||||||
| 1931 | John J. Bennett Jr. (D) | 26R, 25D | 80R, 70D | 22D, 20R, 1 vac. | ||||||
| 1932 | 23D, 20R | Franklin D. Roosevelt/ John Nance Garner (D)
| ||||||||
| 1933 | Herbert H. Lehman (D)[bp] | M. William Bray (D) | 26D, 25R | 77R, 73D | 29D, 16R | |||||
| 1934 | 85R, 65D | |||||||||
| 1935 | 29D, 22R | 77D, 73R | ||||||||
| 1936 | 82R, 67D, 1 vac. | |||||||||
| 1937 | 76R, 74D | |||||||||
| 1938 | 84R, 65D, 5AL | James M. Mead (D)[bq] | 28D, 17R | |||||||
| 1939 | Charles Poletti (D) | 27R, 24D | 85R, 64D, 1AL | 25D, 19R, 1AL | ||||||
| 1940 | Franklin D. Roosevelt/ Henry A. Wallace (D)
| |||||||||
| 1941 | Harry D. Yates (D)[u] | 30R, 21D | 87R, 62D, 1AL | |||||||
| 1942 | Charles Poletti (D)[w] | Joe R. Hanley (R)[u] | Joseph V. O'Leary (AL)[j] | |||||||
| 1943 | Thomas E. Dewey (R) | Thomas W. Wallace (R)[d] | Nathaniel L. Goldstein (R) | Frank C. Moore (R) | 31R, 20D | 90R, 59D, 1AL | 23R, 21D, 1AL | |||
| 1944 | Joe R. Hanley (R)[br] | 22D, 22R, 1AL | Franklin D. Roosevelt/ Harry S. Truman (D)
| |||||||
| 1945 | 35R, 21D | 94R, 55D, 1AL | ||||||||
| 1946 | ||||||||||
| 1947 | 41R, 14D, 1AL | 109R, 40D, 1AL | Irving Ives (R) | 28R, 15D, 2AL | ||||||
| 1948 | Thomas E. Dewey/ Earl Warren (R) 
| |||||||||
| 1949 | 31R, 25D | 87R, 63D | John Foster Dulles (R)[j] | 23D, 20R, 1AL | ||||||
| 1950 | Herbert H. Lehman (D) | 22D, 20R, 1AL, 1Lib | ||||||||
| 1951 | Frank C. Moore (R)[bs] | J. Raymond McGovern (R) | 32R, 23D, 1AL | 23D, 22R | ||||||
| 1952 | 23R, 22D | Dwight D. Eisenhower/ Richard Nixon (R)
| ||||||||
| 1953 | Arthur H. Wicks (R)[u][bt] | 37R, 19D | 98R, 52D | 27R, 16D | ||||||
| 1954 | Walter J. Mahoney (R)[u] | |||||||||
| 1955 | W. Averell Harriman (D) | George DeLuca (D) | Jacob Javits (R)[ah] | Arthur Levitt Sr. (D) | 34R, 24D | 90R, 60D | 26R, 17D | |||
| 1956 | ||||||||||
| 1957 | Louis J. Lefkowitz (R)[bu] | 38R, 20D | 96R, 54D | Jacob Javits (R) | ||||||
| 1958 | ||||||||||
| 1959 | Nelson Rockefeller (R)[bv] | Malcolm Wilson (R) | 34R, 24D | 92R, 58D | Kenneth Keating (R) | 24R, 19D | ||||
| 1960 | John F. Kennedy/ Lyndon B. Johnson (D)
| |||||||||
| 1961 | 33R, 25D | 84R, 66D | 22D, 21R | |||||||
| 1962 | ||||||||||
| 1963 | 85R, 65D | 21R, 20D | ||||||||
| 1964 | Lyndon B. Johnson/ Hubert Humphrey (D)
| |||||||||
| 1965 | 33D, 25R | 88D, 62R | Robert F. Kennedy (D)[d] | 27D, 14R | ||||||
| 1966 | 37R, 28D | 90D, 75R | ||||||||
| 1967 | 31R, 26D | 80D, 70R | 26D, 15R | |||||||
| 1968 | Hubert Humphrey/ Edmund Muskie (D)
| |||||||||
| 1969 | 33R, 24D | 76R, 72D, 2Con[bw] | Charles Goodell (R)[j] | |||||||
| 1970 | ||||||||||
| 1971 | 32R, 25D | 77R, 70D, 2Con, 1UMAB[bx] | James L. Buckley (Con) | |||||||
| 1972 | Richard Nixon/ Spiro Agnew (R)
| |||||||||
| 1973 | 37R, 23D | 83R, 66D, 1Con[bw] | 22D, 17R | |||||||
| Malcolm Wilson (R)[w] | Warren M. Anderson (R)[u] | |||||||||
| 1974 | ||||||||||
| 1975 | Hugh Carey (D) | Mary Anne Krupsak (D) | 34R, 26D | 88D, 62R | 27D, 12R | |||||
| 1976 | Jimmy Carter/ Walter Mondale (D)
| |||||||||
| 1977 | 35R, 25D | 90D, 60R | Daniel Patrick Moynihan (D) |
28D, 11R | ||||||
| 1978 | 27D, 12R | |||||||||
| 1979 | Mario Cuomo (D) | Robert Abrams (D)[l] | Edward Regan (R)[l] | 86D, 64R | 26D, 13R | |||||
| 1980 | Ronald Reagan/ George H. W. Bush (R)
| |||||||||
| 1981 | 85D, 64R, 1Lib[by] | Al D'Amato (R) | 22D, 17R | |||||||
| 1982 | ||||||||||
| 1983 | Mario Cuomo (D) | Alfred DelBello (D)[l] | 35R, 26D | 98D, 52R | 20D, 14R | |||||
| 1984 | ||||||||||
| 1985 | 92D, 56R, 2Lib[by] | 19D, 15R | ||||||||
| 1986 | Warren M. Anderson (R)[u] | |||||||||
| 1987 | Stan Lundine (D) | 92D, 58R | 20D, 14R | |||||||
| 1988 | Michael Dukakis/ Lloyd Bentsen (D)
| |||||||||
| 1989 | 34R, 27D | 21D, 13R | ||||||||
| 1990 | ||||||||||
| 1991 | 35R, 26D | 95D, 55R | ||||||||
| 1992 | Bill Clinton/ Al Gore (D)
| |||||||||
| 1993 | 100D, 50R | 18D, 13R | ||||||||
| 1994 | Oliver Koppell (D) | H. Carl McCall (D) | ||||||||
| 1995 | George Pataki (R) | Betsy McCaughey (R) | Dennis Vacco (R) | 36R, 25D | 95D, 55R | 17D, 14R | ||||
| 1996 | ||||||||||
| 1997 | Betsy McCaughey (D)[bz] | 35R, 26D | 18D, 13R | |||||||
| 1998 | ||||||||||
| 1999 | Mary Donohue (R) | Eliot Spitzer (D) | 98D, 52R | Chuck Schumer (D) | 19D, 12R | |||||
| 2000 | Al Gore/ Joe Lieberman (D)
| |||||||||
| 2001 | 36R, 25D | Hillary Clinton (D)[ag] | ||||||||
| 2002 | ||||||||||
| 2003 | Alan Hevesi (D)[ca] | 37R, 25D | 102D, 48R | 19D, 10R | ||||||
| 2004 | John Kerry/ John Edwards (D)
| |||||||||
| 2005 | 35R, 27D | 104D, 46R | 20D, 9R | |||||||
| 2006 | 103D, 47R | |||||||||
| 2007 | Eliot Spitzer (D)[l][2] | David Paterson (D) | Andrew Cuomo (D) | Thomas DiNapoli (D)[bu] | 33R, 29D | 106D, 42R, 1Ind, 1WF[by] | 23D, 6R | |||
| 2008 | Barack Obama/ Joe Biden (D)
| |||||||||
| David Paterson (D)[w] | Joseph Bruno (R)[u] | 32R, 30D | ||||||||
| Dean Skelos (R)[u] | ||||||||||
| 2009 | Malcolm Smith (D)[u] | 32D, 30R [cb] | 107D, 41R, 1Ind, 1WF[by] | Kirsten Gillibrand (D)[j] | 26D, 3R | |||||
| Pedro Espada Jr. (D)[u] | ||||||||||
| Richard Ravitch (D)[j] | ||||||||||
| 2010 | ||||||||||
| 2011 | Andrew Cuomo (D) | Robert Duffy (D) | Eric Schneiderman (D)[l][3] | 37R/IDC, 26D | 98D, 51R, 1Ind[by] | 21D, 8R | ||||
| 2012 | ||||||||||
| 2013 | 35R/IDC, 28D[cc] | 105D, 44R, 1Ind[by] | 21D, 6R | |||||||
| 2014 | ||||||||||
| 2015 | Kathy Hochul (D) | 37R/IDC, 26D | 105D, 43R, 1Ind, 1Con[by][bw] | 18D, 9R | ||||||
| 2016 | Hillary Clinton/ Tim Kaine (D)
| |||||||||
| 2017 | 39R/IDC, 24D[cc] | 106D, 43R, 1Ind[by] | ||||||||
| 2018 | Barbara Underwood (D)[cd] | |||||||||
| 2019 | Letitia James (D) | 39D, 23R, 1ID | 21D, 6R | |||||||
| 2020 | 40D, 23R[ce] | Joe Biden/ Kamala Harris (D)
| ||||||||
| 2021 | 43D, 20R | 19D, 8R | ||||||||
| Kathy Hochul (D)[w] | Brian Benjamin (D)[j][cf][l][4] | |||||||||
| 2022 | ||||||||||
| Antonio Delgado (D)[j][cg][5] | 107D, 43R[ch] | |||||||||
| 2023 | 42D, 21R | 102D, 48R | 15D, 11R | |||||||
| 2024 | 16D, 10R[ci] | [to be determined] | ||||||||
- ^ There was no codified start for terms when Clinton took office; the date was set at July 1 in 1787, starting presumably in 1789. Most sources state that early governors took office on April 1; however, more contemporary sources note the elections were held on April 1, with the oath of office being delivered on July 1.
- ^ Office established in 1778.
- ^ As Auditor-General.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Died in office.
- ^ As Auditor.
- ^ Electors were to be appointed by state legislature, which deadlocked, so no electors were chosen.
- ^ a b c Electors, appointed by the state legislature, cast their ballots for these two candidates for president.
- ^ a b c Resigned due to ill health.
- ^ Appointed to United States district court.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Appointed by the Governor to fill remainder of unexpired term.
- ^ Resigned to accept an appointment as a United States naval officer.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Resigned.
- ^ Resigned when appointed Secretary of State of New York.
- ^ Resigned to become Mayor of New York City.
- ^ Resigned to accept the position of Postmaster of New York City.
- ^ a b c d e Electors appointed by state legislature.
- ^ Resigned to become minister to France.
- ^ With the election of Morgan Lewis as Governor, the DRs began to divide into two factions, the Lewisites loyal to Lewis, and Clintonians loyal to DeWitt Clinton.
- ^ a b Resigned to become Vice President of the United States.
- ^ A coalition of Lewisites and Federalists elected a Lewisite, Andrew McCord, as Speaker and organized the chamber.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u As Temporary President of the State Senate, became acting Lieutenant Governor upon a vacancy in the office.
- ^ A Democratic-Republican, Daniel Cruger, was elected with three members absent on a 62–61 vote. A seat was contested by the Federalists, however, which led to an extended fight over the Council of Appointment. After the DRs won that debate, the contested seat was handed to the Federalist, and the Federalists had a functional majority of 62–61 despite the loss of the Speaker's seat.
- ^ a b c d e f g h As lieutenant governor, assumed governorship upon resignation of predecessor.
- ^ The length and dates of terms were changed in 1821, during Clinton's second term, which then ended on December 31, 1822 rather than July 1, 1823.
- ^ A division within the Democratic-Republican Party occurred with the election of DeWitt Clinton as Governor between the Clintonians, who were loyal to him, and Bucktails, who were aligned with Martin Van Buren.
- ^ A coalition was formed between the Clintonians and Federalists to elect John Canfield Spencer, a Clintonian, as Speaker and organized the chamber.
- ^ Elected Chief Justice of the New York Supreme Court by the State Legislature.
- ^ Per the 1821 state constitution, Yates' term was the first to last two years rather than three.
- ^ Elected a justice of the New York Supreme Court by the State Legislature shortly before the end of his second term.
- ^ The state delegation of New York in the U.S. House of Representatives voted 18-14-2 for John Quincy Adams.
- ^ In April 1824, Clinton's political enemies, the Bucktails, voted in the New York State Legislature for his removal from his post as president of the Erie Canal Commission, causing such indignation among the electorate that he was nominated for governor by the "People's Party", and was re-elected governor over the official candidate of the Democratic-Republican Party, fellow canal commissioner Samuel Young.
- ^ a b c d e Resigned when elected Governor of New York.
- ^ a b c Resigned to become United States Secretary of State.
- ^ a b Resigned when elected to the United States Senate.
- ^ a b As lieutenant governor, became governor for unexpired term and was later elected in his own right.
- ^ a b Resigned to take seat on New York Supreme Court.
- ^ Resigned to become United States Secretary of War.
- ^ Resigned when appointed Governor of Wisconsin Territory.
- ^ Legislated out of office by State Constitution of 1846.
- ^ First popularly-elected Secretary of State.
- ^ First popularly-elected Attorney General.
- ^ First popularly-elected Comptroller.
- ^ First popularly-elected Treasurer.
- ^ With the adoption of the Constitution of 1847, Senators moved from having one-quarter of the body each year to having every seat in the body up every two years, starting with the election of 1847.
- ^ Due to a disputed election with a Whig candidate, the Democrats had a nominal majority at the start of session, and elected Noble S. Elderkin Speaker and organized the chamber. Midway through the session, Elderkin departed to care for his ill wife, and the Whigs assumed functional control under Robert H. Pruyn. After the seat dispute was decided in favor of the Democrat, and after it had been determined Elderkin would be gone the rest of session, a Democrat, Ferral C. Dininny, was again selected as Speaker.
- ^ As a results of the even split, over the two year term, the Senate President Pro Tempore was traded between Edwin D. Morgan, a Whig, and William McMurray, a Democrat. Morgan had it for the first two months of 1852, then McMurray had it the last month of that session and the regular session of 1853, and then Morgan retained for the special session of 1853.
- ^ Welch successfully contested Cook's election, and served from November 20, 1852 to the end of the term.
- ^ a b Elected on a fusion Whig-Free Democratic ticket.
- ^ The Republicans organized the chamber.
- ^ A Democrat, Orville Robinson, was elected with the help of Republican members on the 49th ballot.
- ^ The Know Nothings and Independent Republican members worked with the Republicans to organize the chamber.
- ^ A Democrat, Thomas G. Alvord, was elected with the help of the Know Nothings on the 53th ballot.
- ^ A Democrat, Theophilus C. Callicot, was elected Speaker after cutting a deal with the Republicans that if he was elected, he would guarantee the election of a Republican Senator, later determined to be Edwin D. Morgan.
- ^ a b Resigned in protest of President James A. Garfield's position on federal appointments.
- ^ Resigned to become a judge of the New York Court of Appeals.
- ^ Per an 1874 amendment to the state constitution—taking effect January 1, 1875—Robinson's term was the first to last three years instead of two. As Tilden had been elected prior to the amendment's taking effect, he served the old two-year term.
- ^ Resigned to become President of the United States.
- ^ Per the 1894 state constitution, his term was the first to last two years rather than three.
- ^ Due to a change in the Constitution of New York in 1894, the Senate began to have its elections during even years, with a three-year term with the election of 1895 to allow for a transition.
- ^ Resigned to become Mayor of Buffalo.
- ^ Appointed to fill unexpired term, reelected, then resigned to become a justice of the New York Supreme Court.
- ^ Resigned to become New York State Superintendent of Insurance.
- ^ Resigned to take seat as Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.
- ^ Acted until the appointment of a successor.
- ^ Impeached and removed from office for campaign contribution fraud.
- ^ Elected by Legislature.
- ^ Appointed for remainder of first half of term, elected to fill second half of term.
- ^ Resigned when appointed Director of Foreign Relief and Rehabilitation Operations for the United States Department of State.
- ^ Appointed to fill remainder of term, then subsequently elected to in his own right.
- ^ As majority Leader of the New York State Senate, served as Acting Lt. Governor upon succession of Lt. Governor to Governor, then elected in his own right.
- ^ Resigned to become President of Nelson Rockefeller's Government Affairs Foundation.
- ^ Forced to resign when it became known that he had made frequent visits to convicted labor leader Joseph S. Fay while the latter was incarcerated at Sing Sing prison.
- ^ a b Elected by State Legislature to fill unexpired term, later elected in their own right.
- ^ Resigned to devote himself to his Commission on Critical Choices for Americans.
- ^ a b c Conservative member(s) caucused with the Republicans.
- ^ Conservative member(s) caucused with the Republicans. John J. Walsh, a registered Democrat, ran for re-election on the ticket of an "Upper Manhattan Apartment Building Party", and defeated the regular Democratic candidate Edward H. Lehner[1]
- ^ a b c d e f g h Members of the Liberal, Independence, and Working Families parties caucused with Democrats.
- ^ Switched parties after not being selected to be Governor Pataki's running mate for the 1998 election.
- ^ Re-elected in 2006, but resigned prior to beginning of the new term.
- ^ Democrats Pedro Espada Jr. and Hiram Monserrate briefly interrupted the majority by voting for a Republican organizing resolution, precipitating the 2009 New York State Senate leadership crisis. Democrats ended up retaining their majority for the remainder of the term.
- ^ a b Members of the Independent Democratic Conference, along with one other Democratic Senator, Simcha Felder, formed a power-sharing deal with the Republicans.
- ^ Was Acting Attorney General from May 8 to May 22, was subsequently appointed May 22 by the New York Legislature to serve out the remainder of Schneiderman's term.
- ^ Democratic Senator Simcha Felder, who had caucused with the Republican majority, was without a caucus until July 2019 when he was accepted into the Democratic majority.
- ^ Senate Temporary President Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D) served as Acting Lieutenant Governor from August 24–September 9, 2021
- ^ Senate Temporary President Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D) served as Acting Lieutenant Governor from April 12–May 25, 2022
- ^ Independence Assemblyman Fred Thiele joined the Democratic Party on May 5, 2022.
- ^ Republican George Santos of the 3rd district was expelled from congress on December 1, 2023. Democrat Tom Suozzi won a special election to succeed him on February 13, 2024.
References
[edit]- ^ Clines, Francis X. (1970-11-10). "Recanvass Names Walsh Victor By 99 Votes in Assembly Race". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-06-17.
- ^ "Spitzer Resigns After Sex Scandal, Pressure". NPR. March 12, 2008. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
- ^ "Statement By Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman | New York State Attorney General". ag.ny.gov. 8 May 2018. Retrieved 2021-06-17.
- ^ Rashbaum, William K.; Fandos, Nicholas; Mays, Jeffrey C. (April 12, 2022). "Lt. Gov. Benjamin Resigns Following Campaign Finance Indictment". The New York Times.
- ^ Reisman, Nick. "Antonio Delgado will be sworn in as New York lieutenant governor on Wednesday". Spectrum News. Retrieved May 23, 2022.